The Evolution of Afrofuturism -- ep. by Howard Rambsy II

A brief take on the evolution of Afrofuturism from a critical framework exploring race and technology to a widely used label for Black artistic productions infused with science fiction and tech.

Script by Howard Rambsy II
Read by Kassandra Timm

Transcript

 “AfroFuturism has emerged as a term of convenience to describe analysis, criticism and cultural production that addresses the intersections between race and technology. Neither a mantra nor a movement, AfroFuturism is a critical perspective that opens up inquiry into the many overlaps between technoculture and black diasporic histories."  --Alondra Nelson

 You’re listening to Remarkable Receptions — a podcast about popular and critical responses to African American artistic productions and more.

 Few new ideas that emerged during the 21st century have been as widely used as Afrofuturism for describing aspects of Black artistic culture. 

 The speculative elements of novels by Octavia Butler and N. K. Jemisin, the exuberant technology showcased in music and video productions by Janelle Monae, and the technological possibilities present in Black Panther films. All those things are labeled as Afrofuturism or Afrofuturistic. 

 Mark Dery coined the term Afrofuturism in 1993, and in 1998, Alondra Nelson, who was then a graduate student at New York University, established a list serv on Yahoo Groups to explore the term in detail. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Nelson’s group became the central incubator for the development of Afrofuturism as a concept. 

 Nelson and her fellow discussants thought of Afrofuturism as a critical framework for exploring the overlap of technology and Black culture. Over the years though, Afrofuturism became more of a catchall label for examples of Black artistic productions that were infused with technology or science fiction. People gradually spoke less of Afrofuturism as a critical lens and focused instead on Afrofuturism as various cultural products.    

 Of course, many people still view Afrofuturism as a critical perspective, but perhaps, over the years, the reception to displays of Black artistic productions that incorporate technology and science fiction gain more attention. 

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This episode was written by Howard Rambsy. The episode was edited by Elizabeth Cali.

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This podcast, Remarkable Receptions, is part of the Black Literature Network, a joint project from African American literary studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the History of Black Writing at the University of Kansas. The project was made possible by the generous support of the Mellon Foundation.  For more information, visit blacklitnetwork.org.