A part of a two-day conference entitled “Political Violence: From the Storming of the US Capitol to the March on Rome,” hosted by the American Academy in Rome, this second keynote speech will be delivered by the anthropologist and human-rights specialist Alexander Hinton. The first keynote will be given by Nancy MacLean.

If many people in the United States were shocked by Donald Trump’s 2016 election, many more were stunned when, months later, white power extremists took to the streets of Charlottesville chanting “Blood and Soil” and “Jews will not replace us!” Like Trump, the Charlottesville marchers were dismissed as aberrations—the momentary appearance of “racists” and “haters” who did not represent the real United States. Rather than being exceptional, these events are symptoms of the country’s long history of racism and systemic white supremacy, genocide, and atrocity crimes. And, as underscored by the Capitol riot that ended Trump’s term, there is a strong likelihood that such violence will occur again. This reality, Alexander Hinton argues in a recently published book, It Can Happen Here: White Power and the Rising Threat of Genocide in the US (2021), is a key lesson learned from the Trump presidency. Building on the arguments in his book, this keynote explores the dynamics of white power extremism in the US and asks if “it can happen here.”

Alexander Hinton is the Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at Rutgers University, where he is also Director and UNESCO Chair in Genocide Prevention for the Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights. His 2005 book Why Did They Kill? Cambodia in the Shadow of Genocide won the Robert B Textor and Family Prize for Excellence in Anticipatory Anthropology from the American Anthropological Association and the Stirling Prize for Best Published Work in Psychological Anthropology from the Society for Psychological Anthropology. Hinton’s more recent publications are Man or Monster? The Trial of a Khmer Rouge Torturer (2016) and The Justice Facade: Trials of Transition in Cambodia (2018).

The lecture will be given in English.

This event, to be presented in person at the Academy as well as on Zoom, is free and open to the public. To attend online, please register for Zoom in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event.

Notice

Space in the Villa Aurelia is limited, and seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you plan to attend an event with a group of over six guests or students, please inform events [at] aarome.org (events[at]aarome[dot]org) with at least 48 hours prior notice so that special arrangements can be made.

Guests will be asked to comply with Covid-19 safety protocols for events:

• Access to the Academy requires the presentation of a valid photo ID and a Super Green Pass
• FFP2 masks are required when indoors, and temperature will be checked before entry
• Visitor contact information may be shared for contact tracing

Please contact events [at] aarome.org (events[at]aarome[dot]org) with any questions.

Backpacks and luggage with dimensions larger than 40 x 35 x 15 cm (16 x 14 x 6 in.) are not permitted on the property. There are no locker facilities available.

Alex Hinton is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights at Rutgers University.

The lecture will be given in English.

This event, to be presented in person at the Academy as well as on Zoom, is free and open to the public. To attend online, please register for Zoom in advance (link forthcoming). After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event.

Notice

Space in the Villa Aurelia is limited, and seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you plan to attend an event with a group of over six guests or students, please inform events [at] aarome.org (events[at]aarome[dot]org) with at least 48 hours prior notice so that special arrangements can be made.

Guests will be asked to comply with Covid-19 safety protocols for events:

• Access to the Academy requires the presentation of a valid photo ID and a Super Green Pass
• FFP2 masks are required when indoors, and temperature will be checked before entry
• Visitor contact information may be shared for contact tracing

Please contact events [at] aarome.org (events[at]aarome[dot]org) with any questions.

Backpacks and luggage with dimensions larger than 40 x 35 x 15 cm (16 x 14 x 6 in.) are not permitted on the property. There are no locker facilities available.