Afrofuturism: Fates Beyond Fiction

The Guardian’s Ashley Clark has noted that the larger term Afrofuturism has “an amorphous nature” but that Afrofuturist films are “united by one key theme: the centering of the international black experience in alternate and imagined realities, whether fiction or documentary; past or present; science fiction or straight drama.” For Black History Month, our film series Afrofuturism: Fates Beyond Fiction asks us to look to the future, to use Afrofuturist film (and iconic characters) to explore possible futures, and to see representation of the imagined possible as a tool for enacting change, hope, and liberation.

Imagining futures of Blackness is powerful, especially under circumstances where that idea feels as far away from reality as possible. Whether it be the fantasy of being a vampire hunter like Blade or dreaming of flying your own spaceship and saving people from oppression like Sun-Ra, these fantasies in the form of films have the ability to change perspectives on what is and isn’t possible for African Americans in films as well as reality, inspiring hope for a future where dreaming is not as radical of an act and becomes a tool for positive change.

Series Community Partner: Niche Book Bar