Should an e-scooter company be able to start operating in a city without the cooperation of local government?  When should local regulators step in, and how much regulation is right? The question is relevant to other issues ranging from the ban on plastic bags at grocery stores to the land development code. The discussion will feature two city council members on opposite sides of the scooter question, Allison Alter (District 10) and Jimmy Flannigan (District 6).

The event is sponsored by Common Ground for Texans, a nonpartisan nonprofit based in Austin.

Location: Old Quarry Branch Library, 7051 Village Center, Austin

Robert Jensen, emeritus professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas, will speak on “Pornography and Climate Change: Challenging Domination from the Intimate to the Global.” He will explain why two subjects of his research and writing that seem quite different on the surface—men’s sexual exploitation of women and humans’ exploitation of the planet—emerge from a common problem of hierarchy that can be traced to the origins of agriculture. Jensen is the author of The End of Patriarchy: Radical Feminism for Men and Plain Radical: Living, Loving, and Learning to Leave the Planet Gracefully.

The event is sponsored by the Austin School. For more information, contact Roy Casagranda, roy.casagranda@austincc.edu.

Location: ACC Eastview Campus Auditorium (Room 8500), 3401 Webberville Road, Austin, 78702

Austin Tan Cerca de la Frontera will celebrate International Women’s Day and honor one of the group’s founders and first Education Coordinator, the late Judith Rosenberg. The event will feature presentations, music, food, and drink.

ATCF raises awareness about conditions of social and economic injustice along the Texas/Mexico border particularly as they affect displaced and disenfranchised communities and supports community-driven resistance to injustice through transnational solidarity and fair trade.

There is no admission charge but donations are appreciated. More information on the Facebook event page.

Location: The Old School, 1604 E. 11^th  St., Austin, 78702

Educators, parents, students, and supporters of Texas public schools will rally to support the right of all children to a quality neighborhood public school.

The march is sponsored by the Texas State Teachers Association, an affiliate of the National Education Association, and Texas-American Federation of Teachers in a Rally for Public Education. More information on the Facebook event page.

Location: Texas State Capitol, south steps, 11^th and Congress, Austin

Author Edwidge Danticat will be a keynote speaker at the “Black Studies @ 50: 1968/1969” conference. The University of Texas established the Afro-American Studies and Research Center in 1969, five years after hiring its first black faculty member. The conference will explore this legacy from the late 1960s, when students challenged colleges and universities to diversify their curricula and communities.

The conference will be hosted by the Warfield Center, the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies, the Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis, and the Art Galleries at Black Studies. Schedule and more information online.

Location: AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, 1900 University Ave., Austin, 78705