Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures

The companion volume to an exhibition at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, this stunning collection conveys the range, creativity, and dynamism of Afrofuturism and demonstrates its profound impact on popular culture. As conceived in the 1990s by critic Mark Dery (who coined the term), sci-fi novelist Samuel Delany, historian Tricia Rose, and others, Afrofuturism “became a way for writers and artists to explore how technology, fantasy, and ideas about the future could advance Black life.” A section on the “theme of space” explains how actor Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura on the original Star Trek TV series, helped NASA recruit “more than eight thousand people, including the first African American, Asian, Latino, and female astronauts.” Elsewhere, contributors note the influence of Blaxploitation films on Black comic book characters such as Black Lightning and Luke Cage; unearth W.E.B. Du Bois’s speculative short story, “The Comet”; discuss the resurgence of Octavia Butler’s 1993 novel Parable of the Sower during the Covid-19 pandemic; demonstrate the painstaking work done to create the costumes in the 2018 film Black Panther; and document the spread of Afrofuturism by musicians including Parliament-Funkadelic bandleader George Clinton and reggae pioneer Lee “Scratch” Perry. Bursting with bold, captivating images and smart criticism, this is an inspiring tribute to a revolutionary way of looking at the world. Illus. (Mar.)