The Kennedy Political Union announced actress Geena Davis as its speaker for All-American Weekend.
Davis, who won an Academy Award for her role in “The Accidental Tourist” in 1988, will speak on Oct. 18 as part of AU’s All American Weekend, which hosts programs and events for parents and alumni.
Most famous for her roles in “Beetlejuice,” “A League of Their Own” and “Thelma and Louise,” Davis will speak about her work in film and her activism with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.
The Geena Davis Institute is a research-based institute dedicated to improving the roles for women in the media, specifically those roles targeting children eleven and younger, according to the foundation’s website. The group aims to reduce the stereotyping of women in the media, and educating women and girls on gender equality.
Davis founded the organization after watching television with her young daughter and becoming increasingly concerned with the lack of diversity for women in the media. She then began one of the largest research projects on gender in film and television, according to the group’s website.
The event will take place in Bender Arena at 8:15 p.m. Students are required to bring their AU I.D. to attend.
