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Culture July 11, 2019
Some simple ways to get introduced to the field of Afrofuturism.
Afrofuturism is a subgenre that has begun to gain traction in the past couple of years. Some refer to it is Black Science Fiction, and in a way that is very much true.
Afrofuturism focuses on the success of black people, and the ways in which we survive and thrive.
Deirdre Lynn Hollman, Founder & Creative Director of The Black Comics Collective says, “Afrofuturism is black survival. An affirmative aesthetic and philosophical position that questions how we will survive in the future, not if we will.”
The formal definition of afrofuturism is: “a movement in literature, music, art, etc. featuring futuristic or science fiction themes which incorporate elements of black history and culture.”
With all of that said, there are multiple ways to be exposure to afrofuturism.
Here are 3 ways to get your afrofuturistic fill:
A great introductory book to Afrofuturism, otherwise known as speculative fiction, is Afrofuturism 2.0: The Rise of Astro-Blackness. This book provides insight into the fields origin and the intersection between race and technology in black culture.
If you want to get exposed to multiple authors at one time, read Octavia’s Brood: an anthology of various speculative fiction authors.
Octavia Butler has won the PEN America Center Lifetime achievement award, Macarthur Foundation Grant, and countless other awards.Octavia Estelle Butler, otherwise known as the “grand dame of science fiction”, is a pioneer in the field of afrofuturism.
She is the author of titles like Kindred, Lilith’s Brood, Speech Sounds, Parable of the Sower, and countless other short stories that are available at the Huntington Library.
Other authors like Sheree R. Thomas, Samuel R. Delaney, Sun Ra, Tananarive Due and Nnedi Okorafor have also helped pave the way for the field today.
There are countless other authors and genres of literature for afrofuturism. Its origin has also been traced to comic books.
Music is always a good way to introduce us to a new genre—whether it’d be by a soundtrack, artists, or songs. Here are a few artists and soundtrack that definitely scream Afrofuturism:
Monae is a singer, songwriter, activist, actress, and all-around advocate for love and female empowerment. In Monae’s albums, “Metropolis”, “The ArchAndroid”, “The Electric lady” and “Dirty Computer”, she incorporates pop, R&B, and funky sounds.
Le Sony’r Ra, otherwise known as “Sun Ra” was an American jazz composer, piano player and poet known for his music that dealt with “cosmic philosophy”. Sun Ra is not your typical Jazz Composer—he incorporates the idea of sonic sounds into his music.
Erykah Badu is a singer/songwriter, actor and record producer who has always pushed the boundaries of what music is. Badu, originally associated with neo-soul and R&B, later became recognized for her eccentric style, head wraps, and overall influence in the music industry.
Laura Mvula is a British songwriter and composer. She incorporates her beautiful vocals, the imagery within her videos and her memorable soul induced orchestral accompaniments to make her music stand out.
Flying Lotus has artists like Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu, and Snoop Dogg on his roller card index. Many describe his music as a mixture of hip hop and jazz. New York Times described his music as a “soulful new strain of Afrofuturism”.
You can’t go wrong with Thundercat. Not only is he a beyond talented musician, but he has also assisted on albums for Flying Lotus, Erykah Badu, and SZA. His most recent album Drunk is electronic music mixed with R&B.
Willow Smith recently released her newest album “Ardipithecus”. The album was inspired by science and philosophy. She incorporates sounds from experimental pop, R&B and indie rock.
It is an understatement to say that science fiction heavily influenced Hendrix. Hendrix was known for incorporating psychedelic dreamscapes into his music.
George Clinton, who later became a part of Parliament, was heavily influenced by artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Sun Ra. His cover art for the Mothership Connection album was heavily inspired by Star Trek. He incorporates aspects from rock, space funk, and funk into his music. The songs in this extraterrestrial album are set in the future where “Afronauts are capable of funkitizing galaxies“.
Afrika Bambaataa had a “wait there’s more” moment with their album following Parliaments “space-age aeronauts messages”. His music helps open the genre up to rap and techno-infused music.
These artists not only bring futuristic elements into their music, but also into their individualized images and videos.
One of the most fun ways of getting an introduction to Afrofuturism is getting to experience it through T.V. and movies.
Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” introduces its audience to a place called Wakanda that houses a valuable resource called Vibranium. When this metal falls into the wrong hands, it opens up a whole new world of problems. This movie focuses on the technological and cultural advancements that a primary black society could have.
Brown Girl Begins
The year is 2049, and main character Ti-Jeanne has to bring back Caribbean spirits while surviving a possession ritual, in order to save her people in Toronto. This 2018 film has been nominated for the Canadian Screen Award for Achievement in Make-Up and the Canadian Screen Award for Adapted Screenplay.
This movie is available on Amazon, Youtube, Google Play, and Showtime.
“See You Yesterday” follows the story of two teenagers science prodigies trying to break the code of time traveling. In their latest attempt, they are successful and return. However they are unable to save one brother from being murdered by police. They put their project to the test to save him.
This movie is available on Netflix.
The Sin Seer
This 2015 film follows Rose Richard as she resolves an unsolved case—one that forces her to examine her own past.
“The Sin Seer” is available on Amazon Prime, Vudu, Youtube, Google play, and iTunes.
“Black Lightning”, based off of the comic book, explores the intersection of family and being a superhero. Once trouble arises he has to assume the identity of Black Lightning once again.
This show is available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Youtube, and Google Play.
Hidden Figures
Afrofuturism doesn’t always have to focus on superpowers and utopian societies. We can also see it in historical genres that showcase the brilliance of black women. Afrofuturism is about bringing light to the advancement of a group of people in the past, present, and future.
“Hidden Figures”, based off of a true story, highlights 3 exceptional women. Often referred to as human computers, they were the brains behind the launch of astronaut John Glenn.
These women not only paved the way for their counterparts, but also for women in the future.
“Hidden Figures” is available on Youtube, Amazon Prime, iTunes, and Google Play.
Marvel’s Luke Cage, based off of the comic, follows his journey of fighting off unwanted changes to Harlem, while still trying to live a quiet life.
“Luke Cage” is on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Youtube, and Google Play.
Afrofuturism is a forever growing and changing field. The list does not stop here. Continue to search and seek out to learn more. You have likely been exposed to many elements of Afrofuturism or Speculative fiction and not even realized it.
