Actress, writer, and activist Patricia Arquette has spent her career portraying memorable characters in film and on television. Winner of both an Academy Award and an Emmy for her roles in Medium and Boyhood, Arquette has chosen to use her considerable visibility to shine a light on issues and speak for people whose voices are rarely heard. As the keynote speaker for the College of Applied Science and Technology’s 2017 Science and Technology Week, she will present “Going Global with Community Sanitation: The Story of Give Love” at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 20, in the Braden Auditorium in the Bone Student Center.
Her work post-Katrina and then in Haiti after the devastating hurricanes in 2012 led to the creation of “Give Love,” a skills-training organization that is deeply engaged with community-led sanitation projects to treat and compost waste, improve public health, and create jobs around recycling.
When Arquette raised the issue of equality and fair wages for women at the 2015 Academy Awards, the world took notice. She has since galvanized a growing movement determined to achieve equality for women in the United States, which has culminated in launching a petition to compel Congress to finally ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which gives women a clear constitutional basis for challenging discrimination.
Arquette is also an executive producer of a new documentary addressing the pay gap, Equal Means Equal, which explores topics such as pregnancy discrimination, female poverty, reproductive health care, and sexual assault.
Arquette’s dedication to advocating for basic human rights has taken a front seat and is where she is currently dedicating the bulk of her time, efforts, and most importantly, her voice.
The talk is part of the Illinois State University Speaker Series. The series seeks to bring innovative and enlightening speakers to the campus with the aim of providing the community with a platform to foster dialogue, cultivate enriching ideas, and continue an appreciation of learning as an active and lifelong process. All talks are free and open to the public.
