Afrofuturism

noun

Af·​ro·​fu·​tur·​ism ˌa-frō-ˈfyü-chə-ˌri-zəm 

: a movement that showcases and reimagines the futures and stories of Black people throughout the African diaspora in a positive light through the use of art, technology, education, literature, music, etc. and that often incorporates science fiction as a central theme

Afrofuturism is a loose heading for Black-centric art, fiction and culture that the critic Ingrid LaFleur called "a way of imagining possible futures through a Black cultural lens." Frequently but not always science-fiction, Afrofuturism includes, among many examples, the Marvel comic book and movie "Black Panther," the mother ship mythology of Parliament/Funkadelic, the novels of Octavia Butler and Samuel R. Delany.

—Phil Kloer

[Hasan Kwame] Jeffries said one remedy for racial injustice in America is Afrofuturism, an artistic and intellectual movement that places Black people at the forefront of cultural and scientific advancements.

—Pristine Thai

… hip-hop artists from the 1970s onward have employed Afrofuturism as a means to help Black Americans overcome isolation and racism. They do so by taking listeners on journeys in and beyond the here and now, from an often imagined past to an imaginative future.

—Roy Whitaker

Afrofuturist

ˌa-frō-ˈfyü-chə-rist 

noun

plural Afrofuturists

… visions for the future have emerged from Afrofuturists like Sun Ra and Octavia Butler …

—Laura Isaza

Afrofuturistic

ˌa-frō-ˌfyü-chə-ˈri-stik 

adjective

or Afrofuturist

"Afrofuturistic esthetics and ideas disrupt common Eurocentric conceptualizations of the past," [Jeffery] Giddings said. "People imagine Black worlds that challenge these notions. Space and technology are common themes in Afrofuturism, as well as fantasy, hope and inspiration."

—Chloe McGowan

… the Afrofuturist visions of novelist N. K. Jemisin have seen her take home the Hugo Award for Best Novel the last two years running.

—John Bailey

Word History

Etymology

afro- + futurism

Note: The word was introduced by American writer and cultural critic Mark Dery (born 1959) in "Black to the Future: Interviews with Samuel R. Delany, Greg Tate, and Tricia Rose," South Atlantic Quarterly, vol. 92, no. 4 (October, 1993), p. 736.

First Known Use

1993, in the meaning defined above