Emmy-nominated actress Laverne Cox

Laverne Cox, an Emmy-nominated actress best known for her role in the Netflix series Orange is The New Black, will speak at CU Boulder’s Macky Auditorium on Wednesday, Jan. 25. The speech is co-hosted by the university’s student-run Cultural Events Board and Distinguished Speakers Board.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the event beginning at 7:30 p.m. An audience Q&A will follow Cox’s speech. Community tickets ($20) are available online now on the Macky website. CU Boulder student tickets ($2) and faculty/staff tickets ($10) will go on sale Jan. 18 at 10:30 a.m. at the first-floor event table in the University Memorial Center. A valid Buff OneCard is required. Tickets will be sold weekdays from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Jan. 18 to 25 (or until the tickets are sold out).

Cox rose to fame through her role as Sophia Burset, an incarcerated African American transgender woman on Orange is the New Black. She is the first trans woman of color to have a leading role on a mainstream scripted television show. Cox was also the first trans woman to appear on the cover of TIME magazine. An accomplished producer and equal rights advocate, Cox was one of Glamour magazine’s 2014 Women of the Year.

“Laverne Cox is a highly distinguished advocate who will provide an engaging conversation surrounding trans-rights and oppression,” said student Maura Towey, chair of the Distinguished Speakers Board. “After months of intentional conversation surrounding Laverne Cox, we are thankful that this common interest led to a collaborative event for our two boards.”

The Cultural Events Board (CEB) and Distinguished Speakers Board (DSB) are both student-run cost centers of CU Student Government. Each board strives to bring a diverse range of speakers to campus. Past speakers invited by either CEB or DSB include Steve Wozniak, George Takei, Karl Rove and Howard Dean, Rudy Giuliani and Edward Snowden (via videoconference).

“We truly believe in showcasing underrepresented cultures on a campus that values diversity and inclusion in all of its spectrums,” said student Rohan Peddi, CEB chair. “Moreover, we see this as an incredible opportunity to spark healthy dialogue and intellectually stimulate both the CU student body and the Boulder community.”