What is Afrofuturism?
Afrofuturism is an artistic, cultural, and intellectual movement that combines elements of science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, Afrocentrism, and magic realism with non-Western cosmologies in order to critique the present-day society and imagine possible futures.
In literature, film, music, and other forms of media, Afrofuturism often depicts black people as central characters in speculative narratives set in technologically advanced or alternative worlds, where they reclaim their power, challenge systems of oppression, and imagine new ways of being.
Afrofuturism often emphasizes themes of liberation, empowerment, and self-determination. It also serves as a way to bridge the gap between Africa’s past and future, and to reclaim and reframe the black experience in the context of technology and science fiction.
