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The 2026 Power and Privilege Symposium is honored to welcome Raquel Willis to ³Ô¹ÏÍø to give the keynote address on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 5:30 p.m. in Reid Campus Center’s Young Ballroom. Willis is an award winning activist, journalist and media strategist dedicated to collective liberation, especially for Black trans folks. Her address will be free and open to the public. 

Authentic Stories

As a journalist, Willis’ writing has been published in (One World, 2020) by Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham; (Rizzoli, 2021) edited by Tina Leung; (The Feminist Press at CUNY, 2021) edited by Kemi Alabi, Cynthia R. Greenlee and Janna A. Zinzi; and edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain (One World, 2021). She has also been contracted to write for Essence, VICE, BuzzFeed and Vogue.

In 2022, Willis published the “Trans Obituaries Project,” a journalism initiative examining violence against transgender women of color. She is also the Executive Producer of iHeartMedia’s first-ever LGBTQ+ podcast network, , and the host of a podcast centering the lives and legacies of trans folks lost too soon to violence. Most recently, she was recognized as a . 

Her 2023 book, (St. Martin’s Press), traces Willis’ journey from a Black Catholic upbringing in Georgia to becoming one of the most influential voices in the fight for gender liberation.

Willis will share her story of growing from a student activist at the University of Georgia to the nationally recognized leader she is today. She will also discuss building community and the importance of authentic storytelling, especially in her work as a journalist and media strategist.

Belonging in the Face of Power

The Power and Privilege Symposium is an annual day of learning run by students to open up conversations about structural oppression and the ways it interacts with Whitman’s campus and the world. Classes are canceled on this day to encourage participation. 

The 2026 theme, “Belonging in the Face of Power,” invites us to think about how belonging happens in our spaces and how we can create more intentionally inclusive spaces by building community, showing up for one another, and challenging exclusion. 

NiQo Bullock, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Activities, Involvement and Leadership, is looking forward to Willis’ address and the growth opportunities that the Power and Privilege Symposium brings to our community. 

“If it’s in unison, we can make the change we want to see,” Bullock says. 

Willis’ keynote address will be followed by a day of student-led presentations. Lunch will be provided at Cleveland Commons for those who attend. Explore the full .