Book Displays

Imagination, Technology, the Future, and Liberation: 
Afrofuturism and Related Genres

Selected by Kristen Shuyler and Liana Bayne
On permanent virtual display starting June 2021
Was on physical display in Carrier Library in September & October 2021

Explore the expansive umbrella of Black science/speculative/fantasy fiction in this virtual display featuring books, movies, and music emerging from Afrofuturism, Africanfuturism, Afrosurrealism, and related speculative genres.

Afrofuturism, according to Ytasha Womack, in her book, Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture, is “an intersection of imagination, technology, the future, and liberation … [that] redefine[s] culture and notions of blackness for today and the future. Both an artistic aesthetic and a framework for critical theory, Afrofuturism combines elements of science fiction, historical fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy, Afrocentricity, and magical realism with non-Western beliefs. In some cases, it’s a total reenvisioning of the past and speculation about the future rife with cultural changes" (page 9). She continues,"Afrofuturism is often the umbrella for an amalgamation of narratives, but at the core, it values the power of creativity and imagination to reinvigorate culture and transcend social limitations" (page 24).

Interested in more stories rooted in the Black experience? Visit Understanding Black Lives Matter (2016 book display) or Still I Rise: Black Lives Matter (2017 book display).
 

Image credit: John Jennings, John Jennings Studio. Used with permission.