History & Literary Arts

6 pm (MST) Live via Zoom. Register HERE As the scale and severity of violence in Latin America, and Central America in particular, has grown in the last decade, scholars, as expert witnesses, have supported women and LGBTQ persons who have experienced gender-based, sexual, and gang violence in their home countries. This presentation offers a description of the asylum system and the role of expert witnesses, focusing on the specific challenges faced by women and LGBTQ persons seeking refuge in the U.S. Free and open to the

6 pm (MST) Live via Zoom. Register HERE Ronda Brulotte, The Art and Craft of Oaxacan Mezcal Not only is mezcal Oaxaca, Mexico’s fastest-growing rural industry, it connects the region to producers, brokers, and consumers across the U.S.- Mexico border and throughout the world. In this presentation, Dr. Ronda Brulotte discusses the rise of mezcal as a global commodity within the artisanal food movement, as well as how this transformation has impacted rural producer communities in southern Mexico. Free community event

6 pm (MST) Live via Zoom. Register HERE This presentation focuses on the photography series, En la Pista (2016) by Mexican artist Teresa Margolles. I focus on Margolles’ use of portraiture to capture a snapshot of the lives of transwomen in Juarez, Mexico, and the transitions of the border. Margolles’ work visually disrupts narratives of femicide and slows the frantic pace of life on the border within the boundaries of the frame of the photographs. Free and open to the public