“To foretell the future without studying history is like trying to learn to read without bothering to learn the alphabet.”
— Octavia Butler
In times like these, imagining a liberated future for Black people in this country takes intentional work. Yet it is precisely in this practice—envisioning what may at times seem impossible as possible—that we create new worlds of liberation for our people. Afrofuturism helps us do that. It helps us break out of the supposed "inevitable."
For centuries, Blackness has been treated as alien, as "other." Through Afrofuturism, we remember that we are our own sun, our own source of light and power—envisioning futures that center Black voices, stories, and possibilities. Afrofuturism offers a lens to imagine ourselves beyond the constraints of the present.
However, in order to envision the future, we must look to our past. Octavia Butler understood this deeply. When preparing to write Parable of the Talents, she said: "I needed to think about how a country might slide into fascism–something that America does in Talents. So I reread The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich and other books on Nazi Germany… I wanted to understand the lies that people have to tell themselves when they either quietly or joyfully watch their neighbors mined, spirited away, killed. Different versions of this horror have happened again and again in history. It's easy enough to spot this horror when it happens elsewhere in the world or elsewhere in time. But if we are to spot it here at home, to spot it before it can grow and do its worst, we must pay more attention to history."
Earlier this month, we were reminded that the culture war is an actual war. Living through this time now requires the same courage as our ancestors demonstrated—the courage to imagine what seems impossible. Because imagination has kept Black people alive. Many hoped we would perish under the weight of white supremacy, colonialism, and imperialism, yet we dared to dream bigger. Refusing to be destroyed or rendered invisible, we redefined survival. Our very existence defies a social fabric that never intended for us to survive. With no place made for us, we were forced to imagine spaces where we could exist, as people.
Afrofuturism is embedded in each of us—we are still here, thriving, despite attempts to erase us or to keep us tethered to a white man's leash. Through Afrofuturism, we are able to envision a world where Black people can live with joy, dignity, and without fear.
In dreaming beyond limits, we affirm that Black futures are boundless.
TODAY’S PRACTICE
Listen to Black music you grew up with or that you love today and consider what it conveys about Black life.
Reflect in your journal: What’s your favorite memory of listening to this song? What do you love about this song?
LEARN MORE
Watch an Afrofuturist movie! Below are a few suggestions:
Black Panther (2018)
Space Is the Place (1974)
Coming to America (1988)
The Wiz (1978)
Sorry to Bother You (2018)
The Blackening (2022)
See You Yesterday (2019)
“Ultimate List of Afrofuturist Movies” https://www.imdb.com/list/ls026388695/
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