Journalist, author and educator Linda Villarosa will be the inaugural speaker in a new Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries lecture series on social justice. Scheduled for Oct. 27, the talk will be based on Ms. Villarosa’s 2022 book, “Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation.”

“In the past two years, long-standing racial health inequity has become exposed, forcing America to grapple with issue of race and justice and to understand the origins of discrimination and its continued impact on the well-being of people and communities,” Ms. Villarosa stated in a news release.

As a journalist, Ms. Villarosa covers race, inequality and health as a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine. Her work has been recognized with awards from The American Medical Writers’ Association, The Arthur Ashe Institute, the New York Association of Black Journalists, the National Women’s Political Caucus and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists’ Association.

Ms. Villarosa is a professor and journalist in residence at her alma mater, The City University of New York, and also teaches reporting, writing and Black Studies at The City College of New York in Harlem. Her presentation in Richmond is linked to the October meeting of the Association of Research Libraries’ Leadership and Career Development Program Institute hosted by VCU Libraries.

The new Social Justice Lecture series will explore topics amplified by national voices regarding social justice concerns.

“We serve a diverse community of engaged students, scholars, and residents,” said Irene Herold, Ph.D., dean of libraries and university librarian. “This lecture series supports our values of evolving to meet our community’s needs and embracing diversity and inclusion to foster excellence.”

The lecture is free and open to the public.