Five of NIU’s leading scholars in an array of fields will join a discussion with the author, to discuss the book. Following commentary by the specialists on the themes of the chapters (racism, climate change, immigration, and higher education), Simón Weffer (Sociology / CLLAS) will moderate a discussion deliberating on the urgent necessity and possibilities of what Schuller calls an “anthropolitics” to rise to meet today’s pressing challenges. The discussion is aimed at generating a list of priority strategies in advance of the inauguration. 

• Joseph Flynn, Assistant Director, Center for Black Studies 

• Beatrix Hoffman, Professor of History  

• Sandy Lopez, Coordinator, Undocumented Services 

• Reed Scherer, Board of Trustees Professor, Geology and Environmental Geosciences 

Are we as a species headed towards extinction? As our economic system renders our planet increasingly inhospitable to human life, powerful individuals fight over limited resources, and racist reaction to migration strains the social fabric of many countries. How can we retain our humanity in the midst of these life-and-death struggles? 
  
Humanity’s Last Stand dares to ask these big questions, exploring the interconnections between climate change, global capitalism, xenophobia, and white supremacy. As it unearths how capitalism was born from plantation slavery and the slaughter of Indigenous people, it also invites us to imagine life after capitalism. The book teaches its readers how to cultivate an anthropological imagination, a mindset that remains attentive to local differences even as it identifies global patterns of inequality and racism. 
  
Surveying the struggles of disenfranchised peoples around the globe from frontline communities affected by climate change, to #BlackLivesMatter activists, to Indigenous water protectors, to migrant communities facing increasing hostility, anthropologist Mark Schuller argues that we must develop radical empathy in order to move beyond simply identifying as “allies” and start acting as “accomplices.” Bringing together the insights of anthropologists and activists from many cultures, this timely study shows us how to stand together and work toward a more inclusive vision of humanity before it’s too late. 

Register to attend this event at: http://go.niu.edu/mefqu0

The link to buy the book: https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/humanitys-last-stand/9781978820876