Eight Things to Do for Free in Denver This Week

The week started out with International Women's Day, and that theme influences many events over the next few days, as does racial justice. Another big influence? The anticipated blizzard, which has inspired cancellations of several events on the original list.

Keep reading for eight of the best free things you can still do this week, all online.

Racial Implications of Injustices in Food and Agriculture
Thursday, March 11, 5 to 6:15 p.m., online
In this virtual lecture, part of the University of Colorado Law School’s Race and the Law series, Professor Alexia Brunet Marks and postdoctoral research fellow Hunter Knapp ('20) will trace the history of structural racism in agriculture in Colorado focusing on disparate treatment for racial and other minorities. They will explore disparate labor protections for farmworkers and disparate health and safety protections for meatpacking workers, disparities that became more acute during the pandemic. It's free; sign up here.

Colorado Women's Hall of Fame: A New Era of Politics
Thursday, March 11, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., online
In this inaugural virtual fireside chat, Gail Schoettler, the first woman to serve as both Colorado’s state treasurer (1987-1995) and lieutenant governor (1995-1999), will talk about politics with fellow Hall of Fame inductee Judi Wagner, one of the founders of the Women’s Bank of Denver, which opened in 1978, as well a co-founder of the Center for Women’s Health Research at the University of Colorado. Sign up for the free program here.

Josephine and The Promise of Living
Thursday, March 11, 5:30 to 7 p.m., online
Join Rocky Mountain Public Media and Opera Colorado for a double-bill virtual concert featuring Tom Cipullo’s Josephine and The Promise of Living, followed by a talkback hosted by Keo Frazier with starring performers Laquita Mitchell and Nmon Ford, as well as choreographer Terrell Davis. Josephine, a one-act opera, shines a spotlight on jazz-age icon and civil rights activist Josephine Baker. The Promise of Living takes audiences on a journey through American history that highlights the challenges, opportunities and successes of the Black experience. The program is free, but register in advance here.

Motus Theater's UndocuMonologues
Thursday, March 11, 6 p.m., online
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo will read Laura Peniche’s story about reaching out to fellow Christians to discuss her understanding of Jesus’s teachings on mercy, as well as his commandment that “you love one another just as I have loved you.” The free program weaves in the music of Uruguayan musician Elisa Garcia and the stories of two additional UndocuMonologists, Tania Chairez and Cristian Solano Córdova. Following the reading, Acevedo will reflect with Peniche on the experience of reading her story; additional UndocuAmerica monologists will join them for a post-performance Q&A. Register here.

Domestic Dispute: Policing and Police Reform in America
Thursday, March 11, 6 to 7 p.m., online
Nationwide protests after the death of George Floyd inspired ongoing debates about what the future of policing ought to look like; radical suggestions such as abolishing police forces or defunding the police sowed misunderstandings and drew widespread rebuke. At the same time, cities across the country are seeing trend-defying spikes in violent crime, particularly homicides. Are misguided police-reform efforts to blame? That's just one of the questions that will be addressed by Dwight Henninger, Rafael Mangual and Vikrant Reddy in this Vail Symposium program moderated by Allison Sherry. Find out more and sign up here.

A Raisin in the Sun, Act II
Friday, March 12, 6 p.m., online
When Black playwright Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun hit Broadway in 1959, it was both a revelation and a revolution, bringing to light the practice of redlining to keep Black families out of white neighborhoods, as well as same-race discrimination and generational differences. Those themes still resonate after sixty years — just one one reason why the Tattered Cover and Emancipation Theater will present a virtual dramatic reading of the play’s second act, followed by a talkback with director Jeff Campbell and the actors. Register in advance for the free event at Eventbrite.

Exploring Immigration and Allyship: An Anti-Racism Educational Event
Saturday, March 13, 2 to 4 p.m., online
The United Nations Association of Boulder is hosting this live event with anti-racism author Paul Kivel, author of Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Social Justice, as well as performances by musicians Julia Che Taylor and Teresita Lozano, all exploring the theme of immigration and allyship. An audience Q&A session with Kivel and Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition representative Mateo Lozano will follow. The program is free, and any donations will benefit the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition; sign up here.

2021 Poetry Out Loud State Finals
Saturday, March 13, 4 to 5 p.m., online
The Colorado Poetry Out Loud youth competition isn’t a reading or an open mic or a full-fledged poetry slam. Instead, it harks back to the old days by focusing on memorization, recitation and performance of poems written by others. Lighthouse Writers Workshop and Colorado Creative Industries collaborate to host the local session of a national program, free to watch on the Lighthouse Writers YouTube channel. If you miss the Saturday finals, you get a second chance to tune in, when Words by Heart: A Showcase of the 2021 Colorado Poetry Out Loud Virtual State Finals airs at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 18, on PBS 12. Learn more here.

Know of a great free event in Denver? We'll be updating this list through the week; send information to [email protected].