Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0267 - Afro-Futurism: 1900 to 3009

Afrofuturism, which Ytasha Womack defines as "an artistic aesthetic and a framework for critical theory" centering "African and Black freedom and futurity," has entered the mainstream, thanks in large part to the success of recent pop culture texts. But Afrofuturist aesthetics and concepts have a much longer history. We will lavish our attention on six major texts/works of contemporary literature, film, and art from Africa and its global diasporas, dating from 1900 to 3009. We will examine how writers, filmmakers, and artists use Afrofuturism to illuminate images of African and Black power, beauty, and creativity; to reshape social and political imaginaries; and to stretch, accelerate, or otherwise transform the timescales of liberation. Recognizing Afrofuturism's intimate connections with African and Black liberation projects globally, we will also reflect on our own positionality vis-a-vis these projects, and on our responsibilities to each other, the writers/filmmakers/artists, and others implicated in the work Keywords:African Studies, Black Studies, Art History, Literature, Film

In/Justice The content of this course deals with issues of race and power Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time