Image: Black trans activist and UGA alumna Raquel Willis came back to Athens this week to share insights from her new memoir, The Risk it Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation. Sponsored by Avid Books, Athens Public Library, and Athens Pride and Queer Collective, the event took place in the lecture hall of the public library on Monday night. Ms. Willis took to the stage in conversation with Dr. Elise Robinson of the Institute for Women's Studies at UGA; Willis was a Women's Studies minor and Journalism major at UGA, and reveals in her book that her Women's Studies classes were a significant part of her journey of self-discovery and transition. The conversation lasted for approximately 30 minutes, after which Willis took questions from the audience. After the talk, Ms. Willis signed books and posed for pictures with enthusiastic attendees. You can read more about the event in this Red and Black article.