BERKELEY — As students across the country push for colleges to be safer and more welcoming for historically marginalized groups, UC Berkeley is bringing activists and scholars to campus to discuss issues of identity and social justice — starting with Laverne Cox, a transgender activist and actress from the popular television series “Orange Is the New Black.”

Cox will speak Wednesday night about her experience as a transgender black woman in her talk, “Ain’t I a Woman — My Journey to Womanhood.”

UC Berkeley’s new Campus Climate Speaker Series emerged from the sobering results last year of a UC-wide study on the campus environment. The survey of over 13,000 students, faculty and other employees showed that about one in four people at UC Berkeley — and 42 percent of African-Americans and 47 percent of those who don’t identify with traditional gender norms — experienced some form of exclusion, discrimination or isolation on campus.

The other speakers have yet to be finalized, but they will include scholars, activists and “thought leaders that are having critical conversations about larger systemic issues of racism and sexism and transphobia,” said Matt Griffith, of the campus’s Division for Equity and Inclusion. “How do we bring those folks from the margins in?”

UC Berkeley officials said they will use Wednesday’s event to launch a public campaign, called “Make the Most of Your Moment,” to promote a healthier, more inclusive campus.

Given the national conversation about systemic racism and the climate on college campuses, said Na’ilah Nasir, a UC Berkeley professor and the campus’s new vice chancellor for equity and inclusion. “I think this time is as good as ever for us as college administrators to be bold and courageous and lift up the voices of our students. They deserve action.”

In “Orange Is the New Black,” Cox plays Sophia Burset, a transgender inmate in a women’s prison — the first transgender woman of color to have a leading role in a mainstream, scripted TV show, according to her website.

Off the screen, Cox has become an icon and a champion of transgender rights.

The free event is open to the public and begins at 7:30 p.m. in the student union’s Pauley Ballroom. Doors open at 7 p.m. Some tickets will be available at the door, but space is limited, Griffith said.

In a sign of Cox’s appeal, he said, all of the advance tickets made available to Berkeley students and employees were snapped up in hours.

Follow Katy Murphy at Twitter.com/katymurphy.