Black Lives Matter co-creator Alicia Garza discusses the challenges of community organizing and the fight for racial justice. Plus a chat with deans Cissy Petty and Colette Coleman, documentary screenings on the West Bank and border migration, GW’s premie

(All times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time.)
Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. P&P Live! Black Lives Matter Co-Creator Alicia Garza, “The Purpose of Power”
For questions, contact [email protected].
In 2013, Alicia Garza wrote what she called “a love letter to Black people” on Facebook after the acquittal of the man who killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin: “Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.” In 2020, #BlackLivesMatter has become a rallying cry for a generation. Ms. Garza’s new book, “The Purpose of Power,” shares lessons from decades of organizing on how to inspire and activate more people to fight for the world we all deserve.
Coming Up:
Ongoing through Dec. 6, daily, various times: GW Campus Recreation Group Fitness Classes
Registration required
Whether your tastes run to barre, combat sports, Zumba or pilates, GW Campus Recreation has a class for you. Check out the weekly schedule and class descriptions, then fill out the registration form at least two business days before your preferred class to be emailed the Zoom class link. Classes are free this fall and open to all GW students, faculty and staff.
Oct. 19 at 4 p.m. Viewing Booth: Film Screening and discussion with filmmaker Ra'anan Alexandrowicz
Registration required
In a lab-like location, a young Jewish-American woman watches videos portraying life in the occupied West Bank and verbalizes her thoughts and feelings in real time. As she navigates and negotiates the challenging images, she also reflects on the way she sees them. Her candid and immediate reactions form a one-of-a-kind cinematic testimony to the psychology of the viewer in the digital era—an unusual encounter between filmmaker and viewer.
Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. Queer Threads: Fresh Voices
Registration required
A conversation with curator John Chaich and artists André Terrel Jackson and Zoe Schlacter on how queerness informs their fiber art practices and works. Moderated by Caroline Kipp, curator of contemporary art at The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, and Victoria Reis, executive and artist director of Transformer.
Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. Claiming Your Values in Volatile Times
Registration required
This ethical reasoning workshop will explore the importance of naming and grounding ourselves in our most important values in a time of social upheaval and uncertainty. Part of a series of civil leadership dialogues presented by the Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service.
Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. New Books in Asian Studies: “The War on the Uyghurs” with author Sean R. Roberts
Registration required
Within weeks of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, the Chinese government warned that it faced a serious terrorist threat from its Uyghur ethnic minority, who are largely Muslim. Of the 11 million Uyghurs living in China today, more than a million are now being held in so-called reeducation camps. Author Sean Roberts, director of GW’s M.A. in International Development Studies Program, reveals how China has been using the U.S.-led “global war on terror” as international cover for increasingly brutal suppression of the Uyghurs, and how the war’s targeting of an undefined enemy has emboldened states around the globe to persecute ethnic minorities and severely repress domestic opposition in the name of combatting terrorism.
Oct. 22 at 3 p.m. Real Good Coffee with Compass Coffee
Open to a limited number of GW students only; registration required
Take a virtual look inside D.C.’s own Compass Coffee to learn about the sourcing, trade and the business of coffee, followed by a roasting and brewing demonstration. Attendees will also receive a complimentary tin of Compass Coffee grounds—and capacity is limited, so reserve a spot quickly.
Oct. 23 at noon Boo Bash Costume Contest Deadline
Open to GW students only; registration required
This Halloween, it’s OK to be all dressed up with nowhere to go. Wherever you’re trick or treating from, GW students can submit and vote on each other’s costumes in categories from “punniest” to “laziest.” Winners will strut their stuff in a live event Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. Check the link for rules and restrictions.
Oct. 23 at noon The Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Black and Brown Communities
Registration required
Over just a few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and worsened some of America's most glaring existing inequalities. Join the Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program for a discussion of how and why minority communities have been disproportionately affected by the disease.
Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. Chat with the Deans
Registration required
Join Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Cissy Petty, Senior Associate Dean of Students Colette Coleman and Jessica Parrillo, director of counseling and psychological services in the Colonial Health Center for a candid conversation on managing anxiety and stress at home.
Oct. 26 at noon D.C. Mondays: The Exorcist’s Washington
Registration required
Explore the real-life locations where a horror classic was created with film studies lecturer David Wilt, who will discuss the phenomenon of “The Exorcist” from its origin to the present day.
Save the Date:
Oct. 28 at 7:25 p.m. Movie and Game Night
Open to a limited number of GW students; registration required
Grab your popcorn and candy and join Student Life and GW Program Board for a classic Halloween movie (follow @StudentLifeatGW on Instagram for clues on which one), plus games and awesome prizes.
Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. “Border South” Documentary Film Screening and Panel Discussion with Jason De León and film director Raúl Paz Pastrana
Registration required
To stem the immigration tide, Mexico and the U.S. collaborate to crack down on migrants, forcing them into ever more dangerous territory. “Border South” chronicles these immigrants’ resilience, ingenuity and humor as it exposes a global migration system that renders human beings invisible in life as well as death.
Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. Fashion on Film: Dior and I
Registration required
Join fashion historian Michelle Finamore, Penny Vinik Curator of Fashion Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, for a discussion of “Dior and I,” a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Raf Simons' first haute couture collection as artistic director of Christian Dior. The film is also a colorful homage to the seamstresses who make couture possible.
Oct. 30 at 3 p.m. Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Scholar Roundtable: Exploring and Addressing Racism Through Scholarship
Registration required
How can different academic fields help us reflect upon and understand the events of the past few months, from the unequal impact of COVID-19 on different communities to the protests in response to George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police? And how can different fields provide paths forward? This roundtable, organized by the Office of Undergraduate Studies and CCAS Advising, will provide a multi-disciplinary faculty perspective on systemic racism with a focus on this summer’s protests and social justice movements.