insider.si.edu: Afrofuturism 2.0 : the rise of astro-blackness / edited by Reynaldo Anderson and Charles E. Jones
Afrofuturism 2.0 : the rise of astro-blackness / edited by Reynaldo Anderson and Charles E. Jones
Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science, and history that explores the intersection of the African diaspora culture with science and technology.
Afrofuturism, cultural movement blending art, science, and technology with African and African diasporic history and culture, reimagining the Black experience and envisioning alternate empowered futures through speculative and innovative lenses in art, film, television, writing, and music.
We learn that, as Coogler puts it, Afrofuturism is “a way to bridge the cultural aspects of the ancient African traditions with the potential of the future.”
What is Afrofuturism? Afrofuturism expresses notions of Black identity, agency and freedom through art, creative works and activism that envision liberated futures for Black life.
Defined by its distinctive fusion of African heritage, speculative fiction, and technological innovation, Afrofuturism artists have crafted a compelling tapestry of Afrofuturism artworks that transcend conventional boundaries and offer profound insights into the African diasporic experience.
Afrofuturism, as an aesthetic, is a constantly evolving movement in art, music, and literature. Its unifying thread is the intersection of African diaspora culture and history—particularly that of the United States—with futuristic or science fiction themes.
Afrofuturism owes much of its foundation to seminal science fiction author Octavia E. Butler, who is sometimes called the “Mother of Afrofuturism.” Butler saw that the genre lacked representation of her lived experiences—so she wrote herself into it.
Though there are many definitions of Afrofuturism, they all have themes of reclamation, black liberation, and revisioning of the past and predictions of the future through a black cultural lens in common. I was an Afrofuturist before the term existed.