Afrofuturism Recommendations and Reading List
“Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science and philosophy of history that explores the developing intersection of African diaspora culture with technology. Afrofuturism addresses themes and concerns of the African diaspora through technoculture and science fiction, encompassing a range of media and artists with a shared interest in envisioning black futures that stem from Afrodiasporic experiences.”
Working definition of Afrofuturism from: Yaszek, Lisa. “Afrofuturism, Science Fiction, and the History of the Future.” Socialism and Democracy, vol. 20, no. 3, 2006, pp. 41–60., doi.org/10.1080/08854300600950236.
2021
Chelvanaya Gabriel recommends…
Octavia Butler & Emergent Strategy Facebook group
Prentis Hemphill podcast “Finding Our Way”
Generative Somatics Trauma, Healing and Collective Power
Bayo Akomolafe https://bayoakomolafe.net/project/in-the-morning-you-wont-find-me-here-a-meditation-in-blackn ess/
Anderson, Reynaldo, and Charles E Jones. Afrofuturism 2.0: the Rise of Astroblackness. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books an imprint of the Roman & Littlefield Publishing Group, 2016
brown, adrienne maree, Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change and Changing Worlds. Chico, CA: AK Press, 2017
Butler, Octavia E. Parable of the Sower. Warner Books ed. New York: Warner Books, 2000
Drew, Kimberly and Jenna Wortham, Eds. Black Futures. Random House Publishing Group, 2020
Dubois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. New York: Bantam, 1989
Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. New York: Vintage, 1995
Gumbs, Alexis Pauline and Adrienne Maree Brown. Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals, AK Press 2020
Hannah-Jones, Nikole and New York Times Magazine. The 1619 Project. https://nyti.ms/37JLWkZ
Monaé, Janelle. The ArchAndroid. Atlantic Records/Bad Boy, 2010
2020
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: INGRID LAFLEUR recommends...
Benjamin, Ruha. Race after Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code. Polity, 2019.
Butler, Octavia E. Parable of the Talents. Grand Central Publishing, 2019.
Butler, Octavia E., and N. K. Jemisin. Parable of the Sower. Grand Central Publishing, 2019.
Delany, Samuel R. Dhalgren. Vintage, 2002.
Okorafor, Nnedi. Who Fears Death. Daw Books, Inc., 2014.
Phillips, Rasheedah. Black Quantum Futurism: Theory and Practice. Afrofuturist Affair/House of Future Sciences Books, 2015.
Ingrid also suggests checking out the following artists…
PLATTE FORUM’s ArtLab Students recommend...
Columbia Museum of Art. “A Conversation With Renée Cox.” YouTube, 1 March 2018, https://youtu.be/hyPYzkcbQBo
Inverse. “Afrofuturism Explained: Not Just Black Sci-Fi | Inverse.” YouTube, 6 March 2018, https://youtu.be/154XnA1xcis
Say it Loud. “What Missy Elliott did for Afrofuturism.” YouTube, 8 August 2019, https://youtu.be/_NMLz042NHk
Storied. “Afrofuturism: From Books to Blockbusters | It’s Lit.” YouTube, 18 March 2020, https://youtu.be/YI1xmwqGEBw
TEDXColoradoSprings. “Christopher Bell: Bring on the Female Superheroes!” TED ideas worth spreading. October 2015, https://www.ted.com/talks/christopher_bell_bring_on_the_female_superheroes
Vox. “Afrofuturism mixes sci-fi and social justice. Here’s how it works.” YouTube, 4 March 2016, https://youtu.be/jlPwTMMhGGI
TILT WEST recommends...
Buheji, Dr Mohamed and Sisk, Chet W. You and the New Normal: Jobs, Pandemics, Relationship, Climate Change, Success, Poverty, Leadership and Belief in the Emerging New World. AuthorHouse UK, 2020.
Capers, I. Bennett, “Afrofuturism, Critical Race Theory, and Policing in the Year 2044.” (PDF). New York University Law Review, Vol. 94, p. 101, 2019, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3331295
DiAngelo, Robin. White Fragility: Why It's so Hard for White People to Talk about Racism. Allen Lane, an Imprint of Penguin Books, 2019.
Friedman, Ann and Sow, Aminatou. “Police Abolition.” Call Your Girlfriend. Interview with longtime police and prison abolitionist, educator, and organizer Mariame Kaba,” 5 June 2020,
https://www.callyourgirlfriend.com/episodes/2020/06/05/police-abolition-mariame-kaba
Kaba, Mariame. “Yes, We Mean Literally Abolish the Police.” New York Times, 12 June 2020.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/opinion/sunday/floyd-abolish-defund-police.html
Kendi, Ibram X. How to Be an Antiracist. One World, 2019.
Quevedo, Edward. “Breaking the Cycle: A Formula for Truth and Reconciliation in America.” Triple Pundit, 6 June 2020.
https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/truth-reconciliation-america/120811
Sisk, Chet. “Audio You And The New Normal Preface.” YouTube, 13 June, 2020,
https://youtu.be/fflHu9_lelY
TURNER ADORNETTO recommends...
Beloufa, Neïl, director. “Kempinski.” Vimeo, African Film Festival NY, Inc, 2007, vimeo.com/100106460.
Haraway, Donna. “Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective.” Feminist Studies, vol. 14, no. 3, 1988, p. 575., doi.org/10.2307/3178066.
Mavhunga, Clapperton Chakanetsa, and Helmuth Trischler (eds.), “Energy (and) Colonialism, Energy (In)Dependence: Africa, Europe, Greenland, North America.” (PDF) RCC Perspectives 2014, no. 5. doi.org/10.5282/rcc/6554.
Mavhunga, Clapperton Chakanetsa. The Mobile Workshop: The Tsetse Fly and African Knowledge Production. The MIT Press, 2018.
Mavhunga, Clapperton Chakanetsa. Transient Workspaces Technologies of Everyday Innovation in Zimbabwe. The MIT Press, 2014.
Mavhunga, Clapperton Chakanetsa. What Do Science, Technology, and Innovation Mean from Africa? The MIT Press, 2017
Muchiri Njenga, Bob, director. “Kichwateli.” Studio Ang, 2011, youtu.be/Z0ahXv7TT8k.
