Afrofuturism: afrodiasporic culture, music, and science fiction - Einzelansicht

The term ‘Afrofuturism’ was coined in the 1990s by cultural critic Mark Dery in his edited collection Flame Wars: The Discourse of Cyberculture, in which he refers to Afrofuturism mainly to black speculative fiction. In this seminar, we will look at Afrofuturism not only as a subgenre of science fiction, but as a larger aesthetic mode that encompasses a diverse range of artists working in different genres and media who are united by their shared interest in projecting black futures derived from Afrodiasporic experiences.

In his seminar, we will engage with Afrofuturism through the art of David Kipkoech, music of Sun Ra and Janelle Monáe, and literature of W. E. B. Du Bois and Octavia Butler. Though there are many definitions of Afrofuturism, they all have in common themes of reclamation, black liberation, and revisioning of the past and predictions of the future through a black cultural lens.

Our first session is on 24 April and will take place on zoom. Information on accessing the zoom session will be communicated to all registered and admitted course participants.