Womack says, afrofuturism is where the past and future meet. Ytasha womacks 20 book on afrofuturism concentrates on the world of black scifi and fantasy culture. Video games afrofuturism frontier author media diversified posted on july 19, 2014 july 17, 2016 categories afrofuturism, gaming, interviews, jordan minor tags afrofuturism, afrofuturism. Comprising elements of the avantgarde, science fiction, cuttingedge hiphop, black comix, and graphic novels, afrofuturism spans both underground and mainstream pop culture. She is the creator of the rayla 2212 scifi multimedia series, the director of the awardwinning film the engagement, the producer and writer of love shorts.
Jan 01, 2014 media diversified is a 100% readerfunded, nonprofit organisaton. I was always really interested in science and history, and mythology, but i remember being just really taken aback by the fact that there wasnt enough perspectives from the african diasporic lens. The world of black scifi and fantasy culture is one of the most comprehensive and relevant reads in the black science fiction realm to. Theres a mass of works that fit into the genre and if youre unfamiliar with the concept, womacks new book afrofuturism. However, af takes on other modes as well, and its worth. Empowering and envisioning the future through afrofuturism. Jul 19, 2014 video games afrofuturism frontier author media diversified posted on july 19, 2014 july 17, 2016 categories afrofuturism, gaming, interviews, jordan minor tags afrofuturism, afrofuturism. Bantam books released dahlgren to much critical acclaim and commercial success. Womack defines and celebrates the many facets of afrofuturism. Thus, comic books can be a medium that integrates afrofuturism as a genre by providing a fantasy setting and visual storytelling. She also recently proclaimed herself as a feminist, standing in front of the word feminist during her performance at the 2014 vmas. Oct 01, 20 comprising elements of the avantgarde, science fiction, cuttingedge hiphop, black comix, and graphic novels, afrofuturism spans both underground and mainstream pop culture. Theres an intimidating amount of material, and for the most part she provides a sense of the importance of each artist she discusses, most visible in her loving ode to the life and work of sun ra.
Ytasha womack afrofuturism imagination and humanity youtube. Since afrofuturism offers a way to take hold of the future, particularly in this case of the black female, it ensures another avenue to reclaim african diasporic voices, subjectivity, and humanity. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. By refocusing the lens on black people and the black experience, afrofuturism can reimagine black history as well as the vast possibilities in black future. Feb 18, 2016 jazz legend sun ra is the patron saint of musical afrofuturism. This special issue addresses the intersection between african diasporic culture and technology through literature, poetry, science fiction and speculative fiction, music, visual art, and the internet and maintains that racial identity fundamentally. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. The literary realm of magic realism overlaps often with afrofuturist art and literature.
The world of black scifi and fantasy culture ebook. Womack a multimedia artist will have you wanting to step on a star ship, meet androids, robots, extraterrestrials, and travel through time. Jun 14, 2017 sonic acts festival the noise of being ytasha womack afrofuturism. How a new generation is redefining african american identity and 2212.
I highly recommend this book as it masterfully covers the genres humble past, its flourishing present and promising future. Afrofuturism addresses themes and concerns of the african diaspora through technoculture and science fiction. Ytasha womack afrofuturism imagination and humanity. Afrofuturism encompasses the world of scifi and fantasy culture from a black perspective, and encourages a breaking down of current, outdated, and widely accepted paradigms to promote a more fully realized and complex black experience. Its a way of bridging the future and the past and essentially helping to reimagine the experience. Every donation is of great help and goes directly towards sustaining the organisation. The world of black scifi and fantasy is a good place to start. Afrofuturism can apply to the study of philosophy, metaphysics, or religion.
Parker afrofuturism has been described as, the intersection between black culture, technology, liberation and the imagination, with some mysticism thrown in, too. Womack, 100101 alondra nelson, a pioneer of the afrofuturism movement, would call afrofuturism a feminist movement. Womack is available at in several formats for your ereader. Afrofuturism is a multimedia cultural genre that wields elements of science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, and even a little magic to address both the realworld issues facing black people in the present day, and to reexamine and offer up a better way to see ourselves in the future, both in fiction and in reality. Both afrofuturism and rayla 2212, rayla 22 are taught in high schools and universities around the world. The term afrofuturism was first coined by writer mark dery in his influential 1994 essay black to the future, to provide a name for work which addresses. Ashe cultural arts center hosts a chat on afrofuturism with ytasha l. I consider womack s afrofuturism part of the holy trinity of critical texts on black fantastic fiction the dark fantastic and super black. The world of black scifi, chicago, gaming, james heller, northwestern university, ytasha l.
Komunitas afrofuturism didirikan dengan dilatarbelakangi kesadaran bahwa salah satu dari banyak segi spiritualis yang nyata dirasakan oleh banyak penganut kepercayaan orangn dulu. The world of black scifi and fantasy culture, tells us about the afrofuturism movement, its history with black cultural icons like author octavia butler. Get in on the future with ytasha womack afrofuturism is a term created by marc dery in 1994 to describe a flurry of analysis fueled by scifi loving by black college students and artists who were passionately the reframing of discussions about art and social change through the lens of science and technology as described by ytasha womack in her book titled, afrofuturism. In this hip, accessible primer to the music, literature, and art of afrofuturism, author ytasha womack introduces readers to the burgeoning community of artists creating afrofuturist works, the innovators from the. Afrofuturism is certainly helpful for the uninitiated, and womack effectively communicates the depth, texture, and entrancing, almost mystical appeal of afrofuturism and the worlds it creates. Womack, saturday, january 24 at the centers headquarters. Video games afrofuturism frontier media diversified. The book is a 2014 locus awards non fiction finalist. Delaney that inaugurated the term, mark dery defines afrofuturism as speculative fiction that treats african american themes and addresses african american concerns in the context of 20thcentury technocultureand, more generally, african american signification that appropriates images of technology and a. Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science, and philosophy of history that explores the developing intersection of african diaspora culture with technology. Afrofuturism also appears in art, visual studies, and performance.
Womack will discuss her latest books afrofuturism and rayla 2212. Womack is a filmmaker, journalist and author of afrofuturism. Ytasha womack offers a primer on afrofuturism bitch media. The world of black scifi and fantasy culture by ytasha womack. The world of black sci fi and fantasy culture, explains that one of afrofuturisms key purposes is to explore race as a technology in a highly intersectional mode of viewing the future. Afrofuturism was a tool that they could use to imagine a better future. Challenging mainstream technocultural assumptions of a raceless future, afrofuturism explores culturally distinct approaches to technology. Komunitas afrofuturism adalah perusahaan yang bergerak dalam penelitian bukubuku sejarah orang berkulit hitam african. At heart, afrofuturism gives you a vast and intuitive feel for some of the most pressing issues facing young progressives in the early 21st century.
Afrofuturism is a locus awards nonfiction finalist. Afrofuturism is said to be an art and litterature movement. Womack is a critically acclaimed author, filmmaker, dancer, independent scholar, and champion of humanity and the imagination. Dec 12, 2016 in part, afrofuturism, an aesthetic dating roughly from the 1970s, has taken on a new public face through a new generation of recording artists erykah badu, missy elliott and janelle monae. Afrofuturism is an intersection of imagination, technology, the future, and liberation. This list of fantastic afrofuturism books to introduce you to the genre is sponsored by trazer. The world of black scifi and fantasy culture is one of the most comprehensive and relevant reads in the black science fiction realm to date. Womack, 108 in afrofuturism, we can move from a space where, as black people, we are expected to have. Four thoughts on the future of afrofuturism the outline.
In her book, she examines the history of this cultural and social movement born in the 1970s. Womack is a filmmaker, futurist, and the author of post black. The foundational pyramid pyramids come up a lot in afrofuturism of the very loose afrofuturist canon, womack said, includes the science fiction writers samuel delany and octavia butler, and the musicians sun ra and george clinton. Afrofuturism fikayo adeola, founder of animation company kugali, said.
The rise of astroblackness is the intellectually and culturally grounded place to begin your study. How did you begin to explore afrofuturism through virtual spaces. Sonic acts festival the noise of being ytasha womack afrofuturism. As a black woman, womack says that afrofuturism isa literal and figurative space for black women to be themselves. Afrofuturism and black identity in art, culture and politics. The world of black scifi and fantasy culture by ytasha l. Afrofuturism is defined as a genre at the intersection of black culture, technology, liberation, and the imagination. Given how prevalent the idea of otherness is within genre from monsters to aliens, its no surprise that writers of color would choose to use sff as a vehicle to access their own thoughts ab. Apr 06, 2018 afrofuturism offers us a way out through the black imagination. Furthermore, afrofuturism is not restricted to any single medium. With his spacey, egyptianinspired outfits and experimental music, the artist forged a unique, prolific path for nearly four decades. Titled after the one and only film starring legendary mystic and jazz musician sun ra, this kaleidoscopic exploration of alternate and imagined black futures and pasts journeys through decades of sciencefiction, genrebending global cinema, unorthodox documentaries, and innovative music videos.
Here, the focus is in the realm of scifi, where afrofuturism is defined as an intersection of imagination, technology, the future, and liberation through the lens of black culture 9. Oct 14, 2017 since afrofuturism offers a way to take hold of the future, particularly in this case of the black female, it ensures another avenue to reclaim african diasporic voices, subjectivity, and humanity. Theres an intimidating amount of material, and for the most part she provides a sense of the importance of each artist she discusses, most visible in. Here, she is introduced by sophie lephat ho from htmlles. Nov 26, 2017 as a black woman, womack says that afrofuturism isa literal and figurative space for black women to be themselves. Afrofuturism by ytasha womack overdrive rakuten overdrive. With a twofold aim to entertain and enlighten, afrofuturists strive to break down racial, ethnic, and all social limitations to empower and free individuals to be themselves. I generally define afrofuturism as a way of imagining possible futures through a black cultural lens, says ingrid lafleur, an art curator and afrofuturist. Nettrice gaskins studies afrofuturism through virtual spaces, stem and steam. Four years ago, i started doing a lot of work in virtual world. Afrofuturism was a tool that they could use to imagine a better future, and the movement continued into the contemporary. Feb 12, 2018 afrofuturism fikayo adeola, founder of animation company kugali, said. Jan 23, 2015 the keynote speaker for the conference was ytasha womack. Afrofuturism is, in one aspect, a literary genre that includes speculative fiction imagining life and culture.
Afrofuturism by ytasha womack and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Jul 22, 2016 science fiction and fantasy often serve as way to examine and cope with societal issues, past or present. Oct 17, 2016 it is a way of seeing, or as womack whose amazing book ive quoted many times says herself, a prism for evolution. From the movie black panther to the music of janelle monae, afrofuturism is on. But whatever the medium, afrofuturism involves reclaiming some type of agency over ones story, a story that has been told, throughout much of history, by official culture in the name of white power. In this hip, accessible primer to the music, literature, and art of afrofuturism, author ytasha womack introduces readers to the burgeoning community of artists creating afrofuturist works, the innovators from the past, and the wide range of subjects they explore.
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