#JanelleMonae Afrofuturism DirtyComputer UCLA

[panafricanhorror-afrofuturism]

In this post, I will be introducing Afrofuturism as the next topic for discussion and analysis. Afrofuturism, also known as the Black Speculative Arts Movement, is defined as the science fiction and fantastical art of the African Diaspora; it can include science fiction, fantasy, horror, and magical realism. The main themes of the most notable Afrofuturistic works are social justice, slavery metaphors, cautionary tales, magic for healing, creating Black utopias, Black leadership in the future, alternate history: healing the past, Blackness and technology, we will survive and help create the future, and specltaive art to highlight social issues. Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic that allows people of African descent to expand their visions of themselves and their future, and is represented often in Black literature, film, and even music. For example, some of the most important authors in the history of Afrofuturism are Nalo Hopkinson, Nnedi Okorafor, Octavia Butler, and N.K. Jemisin. Black Panther tends to be the film that most people associate with Afrofuturism because of its visual commentary on Black futurity, colonization/exploitation of Africa, and Black advances in science and technology. Several Black scholars have asserted that Afrofuturism as a cultural movement dates back to the career of jazz legend Sun Ra in the 1950’s. Not only is Sun Ra one of the most notable contributors to the Afrofuturism movement, but he has also had a positive influence on more contemporary music artists such as Janelle Monae. For the purpose of this blog post, I will be specifically highlighting the musical career of Monae and her creativity take on Afrofuturism through music and dance. Monae’s first solo work called “Metropolis” was actually named after and inspired by a 1927 Fritz Lang sci-fi film that was also titled “Metropolis”. Additionally, Janelle Monae’s alter ego named Cindy Mayweather is an android; according to Monae, “the android is just another way of speaking of the new other, and I consider myself to be part of the other just by being a woman and being Black”. Monae treats the art of dance as a tool to fight oppression and even has a list of “10 Droid Commandments” in which she declares that there is “no freedom without dancing”. There is a particular emphasis on the magical power of dancing in Janelle Monae’s Afrofuturistic video for her album titled “Dirty Computer”; in the music video, Monae (Jane 57821) is forced to undergo a “cleansing procedure” that will erase her memories and suppress her will to fight for a better future. The songs featured on Monae’s album and the accompanying music videos are socially conscious and touch on issues such as racial injustice, sexuality/femininity, and Black futurity. My personal favorite is Django Jane because of its strong lyrics and the visuals from “Dirty Computer”.