<div dir="ltr">Greetings, everyone,<div><br></div><div>Just sharing that I'll be presenting a working paper at the WPSA Political Theory virtual community next Friday! If you can make it, I'd love to have you be part of the conversation. One of the authors whose work I'm engaging with will be my discussant, so I am extremely excited!</div><div><br></div><div>Thank you for your attention.</div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">WPSA Political Theory VC</strong> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:virtualpoliticaltheorywpsa@161776886.mailchimpapp.com">virtualpoliticaltheorywpsa@161776886.mailchimpapp.com</a>></span><br>Date: Wed, Feb 12, 2025 at 12:25 PM<br>Subject: Friday, February 28 - Donald Zarate on "Here and Now: Black Perspectives on Antiutopianism"<br>To: <<a href="mailto:dzara016@ucr.edu">dzara016@ucr.edu</a>><br></div><br><br><div class="msg5019016314901952397"><u></u>
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<span class="m_5019016314901952397mcnPreviewText" style="display:none;font-size:0px;line-height:0px;max-height:0px;max-width:0px;opacity:0;overflow:hidden">Join us for a discussion with author Donald Zarate and discussant Patricia McManus</span>
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<span style="font-family:georgia,times,times new roman,serif">Dear all,<br>
<br>
We cordially invite you to the next meeting of the <a href="https://wpsanet.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c610e43507c4f81a0485bdd2b&id=584b0c9f0c&e=d10567df52" style="color:#007c89;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">WPSA Political Theory virtual community</a>. Please don't hesitate to join us, even if this is your first time attending.<br>
<br>
We will read and discuss: </span><br>
<div style="text-align:center"><br>
<span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:georgia,times,times new roman,serif"><font color="#000080"><strong>"Here and Now: Black Perspectives on Antiutopianism" </strong></font><br>
<br>
by</span></span><br>
<br>
<span style="font-size:17px"><span style="font-family:georgia,times,times new roman,serif"><font color="#000080"><strong><a href="https://wpsanet.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c610e43507c4f81a0485bdd2b&id=ece262adbe&e=d10567df52" style="color:#007c89;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Donald Zarate</a> </strong></font>(University of California Riverside)</span></span><br>
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<br>
<span style="font-family:georgia,times,times new roman,serif"><strong>Discussant</strong>: <a style="color:#007c89;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline">Patricia McManus </a>(University of Brighton)<br>
<br>
<strong>Friday, February 28, 2025</strong><br>
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Eastern Time<br>
Through Zoom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family:georgia,times,times new roman,serif"><span style="color:#a52a2a"><em>The paper is posted on our website. Please read it prior to the discussion. </em></span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family:georgia,times,times new roman,serif"><u>Abstract</u>: This paper responds to the theme of “elsewhere and elsewhen,” which calls for reevaluating utopia as an ambiguous concept existing beyond the present. Drawing inspiration from Suvin and McManus’s exploration of antiutopianism (2023) as a contemporary trend marked by passive resignation to the status quo, this paper argues that the prevailing notion of utopia as elsewhere and elsewhen neglects the rich tradition of Black Utopias. Specifically, I argue that contemporary black thinkers empirically demonstrate how utopia can be realized here and now. Jayna Brown’s <em>Black Utopias </em>(2021) is instrumental in showcasing the unique position of Black subjects, who have been historically denied full humanity yet are resilient in pursuing alternative paths to utopia through such avenues as music, art, and spirituality. Black Geography, which explores how anti-black racism shapes the conditions leading to premature death among Black individuals, reinforces this argument and highlights practical implications. By examining the works of Black geographic thinkers like Christina Sharpe (2016), Rashad Shabazz (2015), and Carolyn Finney (2014), this paper demonstrates how their utopian visions challenge the conventional elsewhere and elsewhen dichotomy, positing that utopia can be realized here and now. Through this exploration, this paper advocates reimagining an antiutopianism that embraces the multiplicity of utopian perspectives, particularly those emerging from marginalized communities, as a catalyst for transformative change.</span><br>
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The paper and Zoom information for the meeting are available on the members page<em> </em>for the Political Theory Virtual Community. Please see below for detailed information about this page.</span><br>
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