Christopher Mlalazi, award-winning novelist, was inspired by the stories he was told by his grandparents as a child.
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Articles on Afrofuturism
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On Aug. 11, 1973, a block party in the Bronx spawned a genre that would go on to influence nearly all aspects of US culture – and the music, fashion and art of countries around the world.
Afrofuturism, a mix of science fiction, magic realism and liberation politics, has shaped some hip-hop artists’ work for decades.
Iain Grandage’s fourth Perth Festival continued his focus on First Nations performance, together with an exhilarating dose of Black Futurism as well as demanding post-classical music.
Black Panther and its sequel are more than just good movies: they can be used as teaching tools.
Whereas the first ‘Black Panther’ film celebrated an array of African cultures, the follow-up seeks to also highlight the rich legacy of Mesoamerican cultures destroyed by colonial conquest.
Indigenous knowledge, African languages, queer rights and Afrofuturism are some of the issues discussed in the new book.
In an interview, scholar Alyssa Collins explains how her time spent plumbing the sci fi writer’s papers left her stunned by the breadth of her interests and the depth of her scientific knowledge.
Even though Afrofuturist works are set in fictional worlds, they provide a blueprint for social, political and economic systems free from exploitation and oppression.
Afrofuturist’s work is rooted in the desire to transform the present for Black people. To do so, they imagine a reality in which Black people are the agents of their own story, countering histories that discount and dismiss them.
Western critics hailed the 1952 book as a great work of African fantasy. In fact it’s better understood as a pioneering work of African science fiction.
Both the COVID-19 pandemic and urgent debates around public heritage and monuments shape how Nuit Blanche Toronto is seeking to engage artists and viewers in remapping cities.
Afrofuturism allows Black people to not only imagine their distant futures but also how to survive the anti-Black present.
Something really magical is happening at the intersection between jazz and hip-hop at the moment. Many of the artists involved will be playing at Africa’s foremost jazz festival.
In a gloomy year filled, a number of artists with an Afrofuturist perspective gave hope with inspired works of art.
The Congolese album ‘Nangadeef’ remains largely unexplored, despite its genius. As a rich repository of Afrofuturistic data, it deserves to be delved into by lovers of African art.
Top contributors
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Lecturer of English. PhD Candidate in Afrofuturism and African Studies, University of the Western Cape
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Professor of English, Michigan State University
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Associate Professor of Africana Philosophies of Religions and American Religious Diversity, San Diego State University
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Senior Lecturer, University of Pretoria
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Research Assistant Professor NYU Langone Health, Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Oakland University
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PhD student, Communication and Culture, Toronto Metropolitan University
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Associate Professor & Postgraduate Research Coordinator, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Edith Cowan University
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Lecturer, OCAD University
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Journalist and Communications scholar, Trinity University, Lagos
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Assistant Professor of English Language and Literature, University of South Carolina
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Assistant Professor of European Studies, University of Florida
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Associate Professor of American Culture, University of Michigan
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Professor of Sociology, University of Richmond
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Professor of Religious Studies, University of Arizona
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Professor of Music, Wesleyan University
