Afrofuturism

The term Afrofuturism is most commonly used to describe a movement envisioning black futures in (re-)contextualizing the historic and present narratives around afro-diasporic experiences by relating them to elements of science fiction, fantasy, or magic realism.

However, Afrofuturistic ideas reach far beyond technologic innovations and aesthetics. They potentially cover subsequent philosophical contemplations or social theory in relation to the experience of African diasporic communities. Using the past as a resource, Afrofuturists aim to seize the energy and ideas of the present time in order to point towards a future in which the borders for the possibilities of black lives are being expanded.

Within this practice, methodology, and artform, people envision futuristic narratives for black lives beyond a global state of oppression shaped by colonialism, slavery, racism, and segregation. Calling upon Sci-Fi imagery and futuristic ideas, Afrofuturistic practices reflect upon the marginalization and alienation of black people.

Within this framework, elements of speculative fiction and science fiction tropes are related to non-western cosmologies and used to provide opportunities to imagine alternative drafts of futuristic visions within a variety of media, including music, literature, film, visual, - and performance art in the context of Afrocentrism. Practices and concepts range from architecture to clothing and storytelling and may be applied to past events (as practiced for example by cartoonist and illustrator Tim Fielder) as well as to fictional scenarios of the future.

Although the term itself has been coined by culture critic Mark Dery in his 1993 essay titled Black to the Future, the engagement of people into (what we would now call) Afrofuturistic practices dates far more back. Pioneering artists such as Sun Ra or George Clinton (famous for his work with Parliament/Funkadelic) paved the way for contemporary artists and productions. Using tropes of alienation, disintegration, or unearthly myths derived from afro-diasporian experiences, artists such as Sun Ra drew Afrocentric visions of the future.

Records like Parliament´s Mothership Connection have a lasting impact not only on funk, jazz, rock, and dance music, but people´s minds, beliefs, and willingness to free their thoughts and think outside the box. Besides, records such as Romare´s 2012 EP Mediations on Afrocentrism constitute interesting connections between the idea of Afrofuturism and sampling techniques as used by composers such as John Oswald. Like Oswald Romare investigates in the interplay of different musical cultures through sampling and loops. He pays tribute to the artists he sampled and processes African and African American influences in rhythmic sections. What thereby emerges (out of samples from interviews, songs, or films) is some sort of collage, sounding almost like a conversation between the past, present, and future as it combines traditional rhythmic patterns with a sense of seemingly futuristic dance music. Most recently, the rising popularity of the highly visible Sci-Fi action film Black Panther in 2018 complemented the genre by putting it in the public mind. However, Afrofuturism´s less popularized aesthetics often remain parts of philosophic or literary subgenres.

To this day, the envisioning of futuristic scenarios in art (and society) is often seen through a white lens. In popular Sci-Fi films and literature futuristic concepts usually comprise a predominant focus on advanced technology, science, time travelling, or architectural innovations, in the context of utopian or dystopian imagery. For the most part these intriguing imagery insights into the future lack ideas of Afrocentricity. One thus hopes that the Afrocentricity contained in Afrofuturistic visons and approaches contributes to the ascendence of black culture into popular consciousness. In imaging futures in which inequalities in society are overcome and not one´s skin color but their personal choice predicts visions and perspectives for the future, Afrofuturism may function as an impetus for social change. Picturing expansive ideas of black lives in the past, present, and future may help to escape the crosshair of a contemporaneous hypervisibility and invisibility in which folks of the African diaspora frequently find themselves in.