In one of my favorite classes I ever took, we learned about AfroFuturism. I remember my professor telling us to describe it in our own words and I defined it as “the chance to change the trajectory of Black livelihoods, creating a new future that is free from "racialized" burdens and oppressions we face on a day to day basis.”. Come on, think about when you were younger. Did you have a favorite superhero or better yet a favorite Black superhero? I remember thinking to myself while we covered this topic in class and how I believed AfroFuturism “is something that goes hand in hand with Black joy in children.”. Do you remember wishing to see someone who looked like you, the hero that got all the bad
guys, or even the crazy smart scientist that saved the world? Better yet, do you remember when Black Panther came out? We went ballistic over it! The pure joy we had in seeing “ A hero, from a flourishing country, with advanced technology” and how we were able to see “how ancestry can simultaneously be tied into the future and create something that not just children can look at with joy and admiration but also adults.”. That’s AfroFuturism. I’m not bringing this up to say that hardships should be ignored and it is terrible for us to want a dream without reality but honestly, when was the last time you watched something that didn’t have an inkling to do with hardship that centered around us? Why can’t we relish and have content without pain, without suffering, without the burdens. I encourage you all to dream a better dream and tell your kids to dream a bigger dream, that they are more than the background characters or the one-dimensional character that serves as comedic relief.
With Love and Positivity,
FME Podcast