FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KFSM) — Former first lady Laura Bush and civil rights activists Tarana Burke will be speaking at the University of Arkansas Distinguished Lecture Series this spring.
The student-sponsored series will be hosting Burke, who founded the “Me Too” movement, on Thursday, March 28, and the Fayetteville Town Center. Bush will be speaking at Bud Walton Arena on Thursday, April 18.
Laverne Cox, an Emmy-nominated actress, documentary film producer and equal rights advocate, spoke in October 2018.
“We are thrilled to host a record number of women speakers this year,” said Christine Carroll, student chair of the Distinguished Lectures Committee. “The committee members are excited about this year’s guests and the different points of view they bring to students and the greater campus community. If the response to our fall lecture featuring Laverne Cox is any indication, we expect great turnouts for Ms. Burke and Mrs. Bush.”
Burke started using the phrase “me too” while working at Just Be Inc., a nonprofit she founded in 2003 that focused on the overall well-being of young women of color. In 2006, she began her campaign for activism to help girls and women who have experienced sexual harassment, abuse or assault and #MeToo became a global phenomenon in 2017.
Bush, former first lady of the United States, is an advocate for literacy, education and women’s rights. As the first lady, she advanced literacy and education to support America’s young people. Today, as the chair of the Woman’s Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute, she continues her work on global health care innovations, empowering women in emerging democracies, education reform and supporting the men and women who have served in America’s military.
