Traveling was not always safe or available to everyone, especially African American families. Green books helped keep them safe by constantly updating what companies would accommodate and be civil towards them.
A podcast on Erykah Badu, the queen of neo-soul, and her relation to/ influence on afrofuturism and Black to the Future. This analysis will study Erykah's work through her music and how her stylistic choices ultimately make her an afrofuturist!
A viewing and analysis of the major themes in the 1974 film Space is the Place, created by the artist and musician Sun Ra. Sun Ra is credited as one of the founders of Afrofuturism, and it is obvious why that is when watching Space is the Place (1974).
In the novel "After the Flare," Afrofuturist author Deji Olukotun wrote about a future that is bad, sure, but not quite dystopian because it harbored the growth of black people in space. In the past, black people were left out of the vision of space. Some, like Edward Nkoloso had dreams of going to space, but lacked almost everything else. Still, that did not stop him from doing what he could to try and convince the Zambain government to fund his space program. Now, we live in a world where black people have more opportunity than ever, and the thought of a black space program out of Africa doesn't seem so crazy.
Cassisus Green, a black man in Oakland, California, is on the verge of bankruptcy and desperately looking for a job. He gets employed at a telemarketing firm and utilizes a white persona to climb up the ranks of the capitalist firm, where he gets into conflict with his friends protesting corporate oppression, and his morals.
Cassisus Green, a black man in Oakland, California, is on the verge of bankruptcy and desperately looking for a job. He gets employed at a telemarketing firm and utilizes a white persona to climb up the ranks of the capitalist firm, where he gets into conflict with his friends protesting corporate oppression, and his morals.
Box of Bones is a graphic novel that follows grad student, Lindsey Ford, as she researches a mythical box of monsters. The “Box of Bones” is a chest full of monsters that seek vengeance for the pain and suffering the black community has faced for centuries.
Jordan Peele’s 2019 horror film, Us, sets up a society of two identical looking groups with one group receiving happiness out of life while the others are destined for failure. I believe the film is a response to the difference in opportunities within the black community and how some black folks have “made it” while the underprivileged have not. When trying to establish the “haves” and “have nots”, Jordan Peele uses horror and the ethno-gothic as a way to depict the reason behind why the folks who have “made it” choose to not give back to their community and instead focus on helping themselves.
The project is about how Pumzi underscores the vital roles of Afro-women in the future and describes the scarcity and reclamation system to survive in the film.
Black Panther creates a world where Africa is given great power in the form of Vibranium. It uses this world to tell an Afrofuturist narrative about racial conflicts and how power should be used.
This thrilling Black Mirror episode has a strong relation to the racist and inhumane historical experimentation in medicine through a Sci-Fi modern twist of a story.
Jackie Robinson was the first black player to be signed into Major League Baseball. He is considered a hero by many and because of this reputation was portrayed as such in the opening scene of the horror fiction television series "Lovecraft Country". So this begs the question, why was Jackie chosen as the hero in this modern day period piece and not a more common activist such as Martin Luther King?
Aliens visit America with an offer to solve all of America's most pressing problems in exchange for all of their Black people. Americans are exposed for how they truly and honestly see Black people, as something to be traded rather than being human beings. Even the president thinks of the election ramifications rather than the moral implications.
In this paper, I explore the novel “Black No More” through the eyes of a character of my own creation. I imagine that we find the notes of Dr. Hertz who works with Dr. Junius Crookman in his clinic. He assists in the project of changing Black people’s skin color to white. Dr. Hertz, a Jew, sees in this process a chilling warning to all minorities and oppressed peoples.
In this paper I explored the genres of "horror noire" and afrofuturism by utilizing themes in the drama series "Lovecraft Country", and highlighted the importance of accurate representation. "Lovecraft Country" reframes the experience of Black people in the 1950's Jim Crow while including supernatural elements.
The film "Black Panther" is the combination of authentic African cultural references, science fiction and technology, specifically in the main character, T’Challa. He represents the Afrofuturism framework because he is embedded in African tradition and technology. T'Challa defies stereotypes, supports black liberation and projects the future possibilities of the Black community.
"Attack the Block" is a British film that follows a group of teenage boys in South London during an alien invasion. It is up to the boys to defeat the aliens and save the "block" that they live in. This is not only an amazing film for anyone to watch but it also does a fantastic job of defying the norms. It fits in the afrofuturist genre because it is a science fiction movie that follows a racially integrated group of teenagers who end up saving the day. The film focuses on the main character Moses, a misguided Black teenager who is a leader and role model to his friends. Moses isn't perfect but he saves his "block" from the attack and ends up a hero.
