This aesthetic, rooted in African history and culture, is experiencing a modern-day resurgence.

It’s the buzzword you keep hearing about and the overarching theme of one the biggest films and pop-culture phenomenona of our time, Black Panther – but the question still remains on everyone’s lips – what the heck is Afrofuturism? And why is it so significant in today’s cultural landscape?

WHAT IS IT?

Afrofuturism can be defined through numerous explanations and it is meaningful for many reasons. According to John Jennings, professor of media and cultural studies at the University of California Riverside, Afrofuturism is a look to the past – a resurgence and celebration of African culture and tradition, brought forward into a futuristic setting characterised by cutting-edge technology and science.

Simply put, it is a concept of black science fiction. It focuses on the the history of African nations and what their futures could have looked like had they not been subjected to Western influence and European colonization. However, it does not function solely as a mythical scenario, but rather, it has ermerged as an artistic genre that tackles current and very real issues of representation and agency faced by racial and ethnic minority groups.

What makes Afrofuturism significantly different from standard science fiction is that it’s steeped in ancient African traditions and black identity. A narrative that simply features a black character in a futuristic world is not enough. To be Afrofuturism, it must be rooted in and unapologetically celebrate the uniqueness and innovation of black culture.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? 

As an aesthetic, Afrofuturism is an intersection between sci-fi and African heritage, thus providing multiple layers of visual references from which artists can draw inspiration and use as of a means of expression.

The overall look? You’ll definitely know it when you see it, as it’s combination of cyborg themes, robotic imagery, gleaming metallics and African tribal motifs are hard to miss. It is also steeped in magic, fantasy and mysticism, adding yet another coat of style and imagery interspersed within the futuristic theme.

WHERE CAN IT BE SEEN?

The term ‘Afro-futurism’ was coined by academic Mark Dery in his 1993 essay collection Black to the Future, but the concept has been around much longer, dating as far back as the 1950s. This was an era in which Africans and people of African descent in all nations were treated as second-class citizens and Afrofuturism was a tool they could use to imagine a better future.

American jazz musician Sun Ra was one of the first proponents of Afro-futurism, drawing on ancient African influences combined with space imagery in his music and performances, while science-fiction author Octavia Butler brought people of colour into interactions with aliens and futuristic technology in her literary works. These representations broke new ground at the time, as the science-fiction genre was not inclusive of black people in the early days.

Black Panther first appeared in the Marvel comics in the 60s and since then, Afrofuturism has seen a resurgence in recent years, in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and increased cultural sensitivity and awareness regarding issues faced by current day black communities. It has made a visible presence in mainstream pop culture through music, film and art.

Here are some of the most notable: 

Who can forget Beyonce‘s iconic performance at the 2017 Grammy Awards in which she channeled a futuristic version of  the Yoruba tribe’s Oshun, the African goddess of love and fertility, donning a golden baroque headpiece and draped gown. Combined with a Last Supper setting and her dancers being the disciples, the entire performance was mystical and exemplified Afrofuturism in it’s purest form. These visual references are consistent throughout her Lemonade album which features tribal patterns and Afrofuturist motifs. Her latest performance the 2018 Coachella Music and Arts Festival channelled Afrofuturism as well.

Then there is Janelle Monae. With her signature electronica sound and androgynous-android persona, the singer dedicated an entire album – ArchAndroid – to the afro-futurist aesthetic. Her short film, Many Moons is an exquisite piece of work that showcases this as well. Other musical references can be found in Missy Elliot‘s Super Duper Fly video, Jay-Z’s Family Fued video off his album 4:44 and the song Redbone by Childish Gambino which forms part of the soundtrack of the movie Get Out. Childish Gambino, also known as Donald Glover released his album Awaken, My Love as a funky Afrofuturist journey.

In the cinematic realm, Black Panther is perhaps the most overt and glorified expression of Afrofutuism to ever exist. Wakanda itself is an Afrofuturist nation; the most technologically advanced in the world, all through the innovation of it’s indigenous African people. However, director Jordan Peel’s Get Out was the first film to makes use of Afrofuturist horror themes.

Fortunately, the Afrofuturist movement is continuing to gain momentum with director Ava DuVernay‘s film-adaptation of the science-fiction book A Wrinkle in Time set to be released in the coming weeks.

But if Afrofuturism feels somewhat far removed from your everyday reality, The Afro Punk music festival is a tangible Afrofuturist celebration that proves the concept is closer to home than you may think. The festival has grown from a small, underground event based in Brooklyn, New York to a fully fledged movement promoting individuality and liberation of people of colour that has now spread worldwide, including London, Paris and Johannesburg, South Africa.

With it’s hybrid visionary elements, the Afro-futurist genre has crossed over into fashion too, depicted by Rihanna’s post-apocalyptic-themed shoot for W Magazine.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Today, through the use of social media and assertive presence of the millennial generation, racial and ethnic minorities are no longer taking a back seat and submitting to the “norm” from which they are excluded. The voice of the previously oppressed and overlooked continues to get louder and more expressive. In the climate of this modern-day cultural revolution, the resurgence of Afrofuturism in mainstream media is not only much needed, but in fact, could not be timelier.

Afrofuturism exists in opposition to a postcolonial status quo, which rests on prioritizing Western ideals at the cost of ”other” cultures and communities who were disallowed from achieving their full potential in the past. Thus, Afrofuturism is important not only because it celebrates untouched African heritage, but it reimagines history to envision a utopian society where black people not only exist, but have excelled in the realms of art, science, technology in the future.

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As Mark Derry posed the question: “Can a community whose past has been deliberately rubbed out, and whose energies have subsequently been consumed by the search for legible traces of its history, imagine possible futures?” The answer is yes, they can – and now the rest of the world is getting a chance to see it too.

AUTHOR: Farah Khalfe