AFROFuturism, a trendy catchphrase, advocates that Black people will be important contributors to the future of humankind. They will be flamboyant superbeings rescuing citizens from burning buildings. African descendants will command spaceships to discover exotic planets and brazenly fist-fight frightening space aliens. People of color will be astonishing academic achievers and civic innovators to end poverty and disenfranchisement. Alternatively, they may become rogue, evil mad technologists and galactic authoritarians seeking to conquer the universe by utilizing fantastic scientific schemes to transform the playing field because sometimes being bad is good.
AFROFuturism also investigates the historic glories of Afrocentric artistic, mythological, and narratives that have influenced and improved earthly civilizations. Current entrepreneurs and multinational corporations exploit this cultural venue to promote and sell movies, music, books, art, T-shirts, and plastic coffee mugs. But despite petty product placement for profi, many aspects of AFROFuturism must be acknowledged as advantageous to the evolution of human society.
However, AFROFuturism is not purely affixed to one ethnic/social group. The term AFROFuturism was first popularized by Mark Dery, an author who writes significantly about cybercultural communications that damage, repair, and benefit human society. His 1994 essay “Black to the Future” helped to stimulate the AFROFuturist movement.
There are realistic, tangible reasons that we all – regardless of biased, economic, or social upbringing – benefit from AFROFuturism. Yes, White and Black folks can gain a lot from AFROFuturism such as:
1) Accurate acknowledgment of human history. AFROFuturism reveals ancient awareness advancing progress. European kings were probably terrified that the African Pantheon of Gods would motivate abducted African men and women around the globe to conduct catastrophic rebellions and endanger royal profits necessary to continue colonial conquests. Thus, native Africans and others were forbidden from openly observing traditional religious beliefs, languages, or culture. Before and after the tragic American Civil War, “Architects of AFROFuturism” promoted intellectual freedom for everyone who was feared and despised by the sadistic ruling elite.2) Popular People Politics. Descendants of slavery may never get complete compensation for the hideous generational depredations of heartless cruelty that occurred in America and around the world. Yet, other ethnic groups have been rewarded generously for similar offenses. There is a demand for better capitalistic activism, allowing all cultural communities to make America truly great. AFROFuturism is a foundation for “alternative” politics to counter the fossilized aristocratic control that maltreats everyone except the reigning oligarchy.3) Redefined spirituality. Judeo-Christian and Abrahamic traditions – Christianity, Judaism, and Islam – have extended threads into AFROFuturism, which is not an established “religion” nor a cult. AFROFuturism exposes the virtuous and immoral in dubious belief systems spawned by medieval rulers seeking to control peasants/workers/slaves.4) AI Technology is the new Revolution. Via the AI digital medium, the dispersion of ideas and inspiration—art, dance, music, chat, multimedia—can occur globally, instantaneously. Cell phones, which rely profoundly on AI tech, are essential to our lives. Reserving a parking space, getting a new job, or electing trustworthy politicians requires comprehending 21st-century tools. We must know AI as well as it knows us.5) AFROFuturism advances all of us. It is empowering, enlightening, entertaining, and engaging. It allows people to challenge social wrongdoings nonviolently. It improves relations with others, breaking through collective conditioning and self-imposed intellectual barriers. We grow. Expand. Free your mind, and you know what follows.
It is important to encourage AFROCentric creators of images, books, music, dance, and commentary to pursue positive positions representing all of us regardless of falsely conceived notions of “racial” superiority. Visit museums, attend art shows, listen to new music, go to different churches or obscure restaurants offering weird food.
AFROFuturism is not an impractical race-based doctrine. Distinguished thinkers around the globe, from assorted philosophies and religions, agree that we are all African, genetically and collectively. We all have the same desires and hopes for the future. We are human.
This discussion was merely a nippy sashay into AFROCyberspace – low Earth orbit. We will engage stellar “Warp Drive” to discover more about AFROFuturism advantages for people of exponential skin colors and extreme aspirations.
AFROFuturism is an action verb.
