Alumni

The 9th Annual Qolors Reception: "We Are Enough. Reclaiming Our Power."

April 9, 2014, 4:00pm

Ethnic Cultural Center

Join the Q Center and Ethnic Cultural Center for our 9th Annual Qolors Reception, Wednesday April 9th, 2014! Qolors is a celebratory reception for our queer/trans people of color communities and the intersection of all the identities that we embody. This year’s reception will focus in all the ways “We Are Enough. Reclaiming our Power" and how we as queer people of color come together in our different communities to help each other heal. This year, we are excited to welcome Mia McKenzie, founder and editor-in-chief of BlackGirlDangerous, as keynote. There will be a meet-and-greet opportunity with Mia McKenzie at the Q Center (HUB 315), from 12:00-1:30pm. The catered reception will follow later that evening at the Ethnic Cultural Center from 4:00-6:00pm __________ Mia McKenzie is a writer and a smart, scrappy Philadelphian (now living in the bay area) with a deep love of vegan pomegranate ice cream and fake fur collars. She studied writing at the University of Pittsburgh. She is a black feminist and a freaking queer, facts that are often reflected in her stories, which are literary and lyrical and hella quirky, and which have won her some awards and grants, such as the Astraea Foundation’s Writers Fund Award (‘09) and the Leeway Foundation’s Transformation Award (‘11). Her debut novel, The Summer We Got Free, won the 2013 Lambda Literary Award. It has been described by author and critic Jewelle Gomez as “a brilliant tapestry filled with exuberance and anxiety”. You can read her short stories in The Kenyon Review and make/shift. She speaks about race, queerness, gender, class, and the intersections of all of these at universities across the country. Read more about Mia at www.miamckenzie.net **** Black Girl Dangerous is the brainchild of writer Mia McKenzie. What started out as a scream of anguish has evolved into a multi-faceted forum for expression. Black Girl Dangerous seeks to, in as many ways possible, amplify the voices, experiences and expressions of queer and trans* people of color. __________ Qolors also wants to give QPoC artists a chance to showcase their work around “We Are Enough.” Interested? Send submissions to qprog1@uw.edu and we’ll work to give you the space to be unapologetically you. For more information and accessibility details, please contact James at qprog1@uw.edu. __________ DIRECTIONS & ACCESSIBILITY -The Ethnic Cultural Center is on the UW Campus on: 3931 Brooklyn Avenue NE Seattle, Washington 98105 -The ECC is near landmarks such as Lander Hall, the Ethnic Cultural Theater, and Alder Hall. For a map, search ECC1 on the campus maps: http://www.washington.edu/maps/ -University District Metro Bus Routes can be found here: http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/bus/neighborhoods/university_district.html -Driving directions: From I -5 (Exit NE 45th), East on 45th, Right on Roosevelt, Left on NE Campus Parkway, Right on Brooklyn, ECC will be on the right. More info: http://uw.edu/maps/?ecc1 -The Central Plaza Parking Garage is the nearest parking lot to the ECC. Accessible parking is available in W-12, the parking lot across from the ECC, adjacent to the Ethnic Cultural Theater. (http://www.washington.edu/facilities/transportation/commuterservices/parking) There is also potential street parking surrounding the campus, on 15th Ave, University Way, and Brooklyn Ave. -The ECC front entrance is wheelchair accessible and the Unity Room is on the first floor, to the right of the entrance. -An all-genders restroom can be found on every floor of the ECC, as well as binary bathrooms with multiple stalls. -The ECC is not kept scent-free but we ask that you do not wear scented/fragranced products (e.g. perfume, hair products) or essential oils to/in the ECC in order to make the space accessible to those with chemical injury or multiple chemical sensitivity. -We ask that smokers also store their coats/outer clothing that is regularly exposed to smoke outside the event space if possible (we will provide space for these items). We will have a scent-free area that is monitored by volunteers. We will have baking soda and scent free soap available if folks are asked to wash off scents. -For more information about MCS and being fragrance free: http://billierain.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Myths-and-Facts-About-Chemical-Sensitivity.pdf http://www.peggymunson.com/mcs/fragrancefree.html http://www.brownstargirl.org/1/post/2012/03/fragrance-free-femme-of-colour-realness-draft-15.html -In order to provide ASL interpretation, please contact organizers at least 10 days before the event in order for us to secure an interpreter. If you have any questions/concerns about this, please email qprog1@uw.edu -Flash photography will be used during the reception. Some shots of the crowd may also be taken. The keynote will also be recorded, however audio and video will be focused on the speaker, -The Unity Room is a lobby/reception space, with overhead and natural lighting. There are large windows throughout the ECC. -If you have questions, concerns or accessibility details that were not addressed here OR if you wish to volunteer, email qprog1@uw.edu! All updates concerning the event and its accessibility will be posted here. -Much of accessibility notices are thanks to this rad accessibility checklist. Check it out and share: http://blackbrokenandbent.wordpress.com/2012/11/17/creating-accessible-events-a-checklist-for-programmers-organizers-advertizers-speakers-and-event-attendees/