afrofuturismblogpost

[afrofuturismblogpost]

Blog Post #6

“Walking Awake” by N. K. Jemisin creates a story around an incredibly eerie concept in which elites can take over and use human bodies on a whim. The central theme that stood out to me was slavery. Although this form of “slavery” is far more fictional in the sense that, in real life, people have never been able to take over people’s bodies in the literal meaning of body-switching. However, masters during chattel slavery were able to control virtually every aspect of many African Americans’ bodies. That loss of bodily autonomy in this story stood out to me. Additionally, the story had an industrialized process of creating more human bodies for elites to switch into, also known as “body-farming.” They would have a literal system in which people were made to create new babies and life for elites to take over in the future. To me, this does have clear parallels to slavery. There were enslaved women who had virtually no choice but to “breed” or get impregnated solely for the purpose of creating new babies who would eventually become more enslaved people for the masters to profit from. That theme of dehumanization and industrializing human bodies was also very stark. Additionally, to me, Sadie as a character was in many ways a clear parallel to many enslaved black women during slavery. The idea of having to care for and raise a child, only to know you will have no choice but to send them off to a life of misery, is alarming. What does it mean to ask a human being to become so desensitized to a process that they should be willing to send off a child they have cared for to a dangerous life of the unknown? This is something millions of black mothers were tasked with during slavery. Additionally, Dr. Due raised the theme of complicity that was depicted in this story. In the context of slavery and specific systems of oppression, the choice many are faced with is to comply or die. Lastly, Dr. Due pointed out another thought-provoking theme in this story: comfort at the expense of others’ discomfort or pain. I believe this is a theme that can be seen throughout all of U.S. history, dating back to the colonization of America by the natives, to today, in which billionaires exploit the working class. The notion of someone prioritizing their pleasure and comfort over another group has been a recurring concept in this country’s history. Even from a standpoint of looking at our own lives, we can see that we in many ways rely on the discomfort or suffering of others for ourselves. A decent example may be cheaper goods we buy that are made in other countries by child laborers. Overall, this story prompted a lot of reflection for me.

[afrofuturismblogpost]

Blog Post #5

Nalo Hopkinson’s Greedy Choke Puppy was a very fascinating story. I initially took it for a more dark fictional story for entertainment. With a fair amount of the works we’ve read, watched, or listened to, I have felt like I was able to pick up on at least some of the commentary pretty quickly. For Greedy Choke Puppy, I really had to reflect to discover what the themes and deeper message of the story were. Additionally, Dr. Due’s thoughts on the story helped tremendously. What I immediately picked up on was, of course, the Caribbean folklore themes, but also the deeper message of battling the demons within. Jacky’s desire to learn more about the soucouyants all while simultaneously having one hidden inside her was very thought-provoking. Maybe there is something to be said about hypocrisy as well as us trying to control aspects of ourselves that are intrinsic to our being. Maybe the decision of Jacky’s grandmother not to try to help Jacky rid herself of her soucouyant part represents that sometimes trying to change an aspect of someone that is intrinsic to their being does more harm than good. It’s also possible that Jacky’s grandmother saw her as beyond salvation after snatching the life of that newborn. Additionally, Dr. Due in class raised a very astute point about the ways in which this story and cultural mythologies in general can sometimes find a way to explain scientific concepts that we couldn’t otherwise wrap our heads around. Take the documented medical phenomenon of “crib death.” While a real and documented medical occurrence, it is hard for humans to wrap their minds around an otherwise healthy baby suddenly dying without any obvious cause in the night. Maybe for Caribbean people, the concept of a “soucouyant” who would come in the night and take your baby’s life was one way of dealing with this immense loss for new parents. I can imagine mothers in particular placing a lot of blame on themselves for this medical occurrence, questioning what they did wrong, not understanding that it was not their fault. It is helpful for communities to make stories and mythologies like this so that people can help cope with aspects of life that we do not fully understand. Ultimately, the story prompted a lot of reflection. Sometimes a story that you don’t initially understand is for the best, as it can bring about more pondering about not only the themes and messages depicted, but also reflections about life.

[afrofuturismblogpost]

Blog Post #4

The film District 9 was very thought-provoking. Upon being initially assigned to watch it, I did research on its ties to Afrofuturism. Upon looking at the listed main cast, I saw virtually no Black people. I then looked up the director to double-check that it was not created by a Black individual. It was not. That being said, I understand that a piece of Afrofuturistic work does not need to be created by a fully Black person to be considered a part of the genre, take A Brother From Another Planet by John Sayles for example. That being said, upon actually delving into the film and hearing Dr. Due’s take on it, I realized it was not in fact a part of Afrofuturism. The main issue being that although this story takes place in South Africa, what’s going on feels more like a backdrop in a story about a white character’s journey. I feel as though as an audience, we were meant to resonate most with him and feel more empathy for him in this story. That being said, I do think the filmmakers did a decent job with some of the political commentary. The idea of people forcefully removed or relocated is very pertinent to today’s day and age. One could compare that to some experiences across the world. Additionally, I thought the way in which Wikus was immediately stripped of all his special treatments as a white human upon coming in contact and being partially “infected” with the alien DNA was a reference to America’s one-drop rule in which having any amount of African American DNA, regardless of being majority white, could allow many of your rights to be stripped away. In that sense, the way in which the director depicted Wikus as immediately being dehumanized after losing his full white status was accurate. Overall, I was not a complete fan of the movie, but I did think there were some thought-provoking moments. I would be remiss, however, if I did not make a point to acknowledge the depiction of Nigerians in that film. Dr. Due already acknowledged it, but I feel the need to add that I also picked up on the inaccurate and downright offensive depiction of Nigerians as barbarians and savages. I don’t know if the writer and director harbored some resentment towards Nigerians or what, but I felt the movie did nothing to help the harmful stereotypes that are already out there about Nigerians. To add, it is ironic considering the movie is meant to touch on the exploitation of a group, when the author exploited Nigerians through savage depictions to forward their own movie’s plot.

[afrofuturismblogpost]

Blog Post #3

Blog Post #3 One of the most meaningful pieces of art that has been explored and discussed in this class is Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA.” I vaguely remembered it when it came out years ago on his critically acclaimed album DAMN. That being said, I treated the song like I treated many songs on that album. That is to say, I mainly listened to the songs to dance to or to vibe out in the car to. I never really took the time to truly digest the words he was saying. As a result of this class, I have taken a deeper look into the content of his words. There were so many stylistic choices and deliberate strategies in the way he deployed his lyricism that stood out, but I will try my best to cover those that resonated with me most. “Loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA.” Him referencing his historical roots to African kings and queens that date back to before slavery is extremely powerful. I think the culture African Americans have built in the United States over the past centuries is indescribably essential, unique, innovative, creative, etc., the list goes on. That being said and maintained, I think it is also crucial for African Americans to be able to recognize and be in touch with their African roots that were taken from them if they so choose to pursue that. I remember my African American friends with ancestral ties to the South telling me they found out they had some West African, specifically Nigerian, ancestry. Although I did not grow up in Nigeria, my dad did, and I grew up with a lot of the food, culture, and music through him. I am, of course, happy to share these things. As someone who has adopted a more Pan-Afrikan view, I like to see all Black people across the diaspora united. Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, African American, African Canadian, East African, etc., are all part of the Black diaspora. I think it’s powerful that artists and activists like Kendrick Lamar recognize this notion. Later in the verse, “Cocaine quarter piece got war and peace inside my DNA... I got hustle though ambition flows inside my DNA,” I interpret this as Kendrick referencing both the struggle his community has experienced and the perseverance and joy within it as well. Kendrick Lamar, having grown up in Compton, must have witnessed and experienced many struggles. Like Nipsey Hussle from Crenshaw, Los Angeles has some of the most beautiful music, food, art, and culture in general through the Black community. At the same time, inequality in Los Angeles is rampant, which has in turn caused historical gang and drug violence. The inability of the U.S. government to support Black people and the deliberate choices made historically to oppress them have caused many to turn to a life of hustle, as it’s the only option. Lamar alludes to this both overtly and subtly in his music. While he was able to use hard work and a bit of luck to make it out of challenging circumstances, not everyone is as fortunate. He is trying to make people aware of this. Fortunately, much like in Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright,” I sense a strong feeling of hope and positivity in his outlook for the future. A big part of Afrofuturism is looking back on the monumental and innovative strides the Black community has made, as well as the obstacles it has overcome, as a way to imagine and shape the future. I believe Lamar is reaffirming the idea that our DNA, our history, resilience, and identity will help guide us through whatever the future may hold.

[afrofuturismblogpost]

Blog Post #2

Blog Post #2 1) ○ First and foremost, we would be mainly seeking shelter from the impending doom of climate change. Stronger hurricanes, rising sea levels, worsening wildfires, inevitable water shortages, among a host of other issues will eventually make Earth uninhabitable if we don’t act eventually. ○ Secondly, this may seem general but inequalities. Racism, socioeconomic disparities, gender-based violence, among many other forms of oppression are part of the larger issue. 2) ○ “God is change.” I don’t believe Octavia Butler was Christian, but I do think this piece can hold true to many Christains like myself. The world and universe is constantly changing. Sometimes nothing feels guaranteed, and it becomes important for me to recognize that part of that change is part of a divine plan. ○ “People tend to give into fear and depression -to need and to greed.” This quote is very profound as humans can so easily slip into their selfish or negative nature in the face of hardship. For many, it feels like a never-ending struggle between will and actions. 3) ○ I would create the Earthseed community on the moon. I have a limited grasp on space and which planets are sustainable for human life, but if I’m not mistaken humans have only ever traveled to the moon as an alternative planet. I suppose that would be the only option as of now. 4) ○ People who are willing to understand that the structures that this Earthseed resulted from cannot be formed again. 5) ○ It will be a representative democracy with elected officials. 6) ○ We would need the technology to survive long-term on the moon. Whether that be moon-safe houses and long-term space suits or something else entirely, we would need the technology to be able to inhabit the moon for the long term. I realize this is a bit ironic considering billionaires are likely exploring this new technology at this very moment knowing that only the 1% will likely be able to relocate there when climate change renders earth uninhabitable, but in this scenario I am creating would be for the people who didn't actively fight to uphold the systems that allowed for this. Also, this is all hypothetical. 7) ○ We would have a system in place in which everyone would contribute to the best of their ability and receive according to their needs. 8) ○ We would definitely have the most educated and well-equipped people helping make informed decisions. We would have open-minded and tolerant teachers leading our education system and veteran, good-intentioned doctors leading our medical/healthcare system for example. Word Count: 420

[afrofuturismblogpost]

Blog Post #1

One of the main works that resonated most with me discussed thus far was Black Panther. There were many phenomenal and creative works by Black artists discussed in this class thus far, and this is in no way the “best” of them necessarily. But I think it has had the biggest impact on me in that it served as my main introduction into Afrofuturism. I vividly remember entering the theater while I was in middle school to watch the film. I had always been relatively interested in superheroes, having loved the X-Men franchise. At the time, however, one of the only Black superheroes in all of Marvel had been Storm. While an amazing hero, and having been portrayed by an actress as talented as Halle Berry, she simply wasn’t enough. Her backstory was not nearly fleshed out enough, and she existed as an extension of all the other X-Men. Her existence, like one of the only other Black Marvel characters on the screen prior to Black Panther, James Rhodes (played by Don Cheadle), served only to further the plot of the white main characters of their stories, be it Charles Xavier or Tony Stark. T’Challa’s story from Black Panther was different in that he was the main agent of his own story. Everything centered around him, and his entire origin, homeland, and family were as intricate and detailed as I could have hoped for. It also deeply resonated with me personally, as it told two sides of the same coin. I am an African American through and through, but my only African heritage/biological connection to the African Diaspora came from my dad, who was born and raised in Nigeria. While I grew up as an African American in the United States, I was always taught about the various ways Western intervention had effectively uplifted, then subsequently destroyed, Nigeria’s economy. So to see a movie simultaneously address an African nation’s (albeit fictional nation) skepticism of sharing its resources with the Western world, while also emphasizing the immense struggles African Americans also face abroad, helped me understand that we are united in our struggle. While global politics and compounding oppression are a more difficult topic for a middle schooler to understand, I truly was able to leave that theater with not only the joy of seeing true representation on screen, but also a lesson about the need for unity across the Afrikan Diaspora.