Sun Ra and Afrofuturism - A Need for Change

Afrofuturism is a term which defines a movement about acknowledging and embracing the African Roots in more than one aspect. It includes political, sociological, literary and artistic elements and is connected to building an open future together in which there is more acceptance, embracing and presentation of the African Roots and the heritage of black people. The movement was created due to the lack of such acceptance and presentation in for example the film industry and the music industry in the 20th century. With the mainstream of white people in the music or film industry of the USA the need for change arised because of hate, long-lived prejudices and stereotpes but also because of a changing mindset. 

The term is connected to a futuristic way of living and thus science-fiction and being "alien" plays a majr role. 

Nowadays there are many African-American artists in the music and film industry, but their possibilities to live out their dream, or to speak about still existing problems with f. i. racism were settled by movements like the afrofuturistic one which stood up to make a change.

The movement itself was characterized by peaceful and often jazz- or funk- music. There are many different artists who create afrofuturitic music, one of them being Sun Ra. He was and still is a well-known artist whose style is avant-garde, experimental and highly inspired by different types of jazz. His appearance during his performances was created to represent what the movement stands for: emracing the one's roots. Hence, he does not wear typical american clothes, his look is not mainstream and he himself claimed that his identity outside of his music, which in its own way represents the movement, is not important. His pseudonym Sun Ra is his identity and his legal name Herman Poole Blount serves as a pseudonym. With this staging alone he lived the idea of building a different future together - through music. Sun Ra himself stated that music is a language which can express things that words cannot express. He believed that if people were to actually listen to that music, they would understand this and their behaviour, in terms of prejudices etc. would change.  

Aspects such as "race" and skincolor did not matter for him, as he wanted to unite through his music. However, at the same time these aspects built the basis for his composings, as their history created the reason and need for music like his. In order to embrace one's roots through an all accepted embracing, the difference between the harsh reality and a justice world would have to be made explicit.

Often times, in afrofuturistic music, the music videos include scientific elements, futuristic elements and a union between people of different heritages. In his music he included, what is rather typical for Avantgarde/experimental ways of producing and performing his music. In some videos he is seen on a keyboard, in others he is seen playing other technological "instruments". He did not settle for only one way to express himself, which is why he also exchanged his orchestra instruments and performers reguarly. Settling for something would mean to accept the way it is, not being able to make changes or move and this is what he did not want. His identity, claiming to be an alien from Saturn also plays a big role in reasoning his musical decisions and it also fits to the metaphor or not feeling at home or settled as one is viewed "alien" or as different.