afrofuturismreality

[afrofuturismreality]

Should AI be Used as a Therapist?

A topic that my colleague shared in our Afrofuturism course this week was AI as a therapy resource. This dilemma was presented in his own short films that he produced, directed, and starred in. I believe this film was well done and emphasized creativity when combining contemporary issues and possible future crises in the African American community, as well as other minority communities. 

The short film showed the character Jay, who was introduced to an AI therapy program by a friend. Jay is skeptical about the program from the beginning and often shows a sense of uncertainty. Once he gets into the room, he opens the box and opens up the phone that has the AI program Chad. The AI is introducing itself and asks Jay why he wants therapy and what is on his mind. Instead of truly answering and venting to the system, Jay is too troubled by this current dilemma. Jay tells the AI how he finds it troubling that he might be seeking advice from an AI instead of a real person. Jay mentions how he has done therapy before and how that experience was not terrible, but not necessarily the best. Jay and the system have this back-and-forth philosophical discussion about the benefits and cons that doing this program can bring. The film ends with the program asking Jay if he wants to book an actual session with it. Jay sits on this question, and the film ends, leaving room for interpretation while also letting viewers think for themselves what option they would take. In my opinion, I believe whether or not a person seeks therapy from an AI largely depends on context. To explain, if a person has little to no access to an immediate answer, AI can give them a sense of direction with logic. However, this AI has no sense of emotion but only logic on what emotion is. This can present an issue in the long term or if a person largely depends on AI constantly for mental support. This is because over time, the person may forget how to navigate an issue based on empathy. As humans, a lot of issues can be fixed from a place of heart and not necessarily always with logic. With the rules of logic, some solutions to issues will be confined and restricted when there are no emotions. There is another side to this where people don’t have access to therapy due to financial or cultural reasons. Having AI instead answer therapy questions would be beneficial in this case. I still advocate for an in-person connection long-term because of the other possible issues this can bring, such as a constant good feedback loop. To further explain, AI is trained and catered towards each user. If a user is always telling their AI to agree with them, then the AI would not provide constructive feedback during a therapy session. Sometimes, constructive feedback is necessary for growth and change, especially if the person is seeking that. 

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Alienation: District 9 Through the Lens of Afrofuturism and Racial Studies

In my Afrofuturism course, we have explored how Black artists, writers, and filmmakers use speculative fiction to challenge historical oppression and imagine new futures shaped by liberation and resistance. One of the most impactful ideas for me has been how science fiction can act as a mirror to real-world racial injustices. This idea came into sharper focus when I revisited the film District 9, a science fiction movie that uses alien species to explore the politics of race, otherness, and systemic violence.

Set in South Africa, District 9 tells the story of extraterrestrial refugees who are forced to live in squalid camps under constant surveillance and military control. Although the film is about aliens, it is clearly an allegory for apartheid and its aftermath. The aliens, derogatorily called “prawns,” are treated with disgust, stripped of their rights, and relocated through force. Watching the film, I was struck by how closely these depictions echo the forced removals and racial segregation policies under apartheid, where Black South Africans were displaced and confined to impoverished areas under brutal conditions. This use of science fiction to depict a historical trauma without directly naming it is a powerful technique, one that aligns with Afrofuturism’s broader project of using the speculative to reframe Black experience.

One example from South African history that my professor connected to District 9 was the widespread censorship imposed by the apartheid government. During that period, state authorities tightly controlled media, art, and literature to suppress any dissenting voices that challenged racial inequality or government brutality. News coverage was filtered, books were banned, and artists who spoke out were silenced or forced into exile. In the film, we see a similar manipulation of information. The government presents the alien relocation as a humanitarian effort, masking the violence and exploitation behind it. The media plays a key role in shaping public perception, repeating official narratives while hiding the true conditions of the alien camps. This parallel made me think about how control over information is a powerful tool of oppression, both in historical reality and in science fiction.

Outside of class, I began researching how critics have responded to District 9 and found that the film has sparked important debates about representation. Some have pointed out that the story centers on a white protagonist, Wikus, whose transformation into an alien becomes the main emotional arc of the movie. This raises a troubling question: Why must a white character suffer before the audience can empathize with those who are marginalized? This critique helped me think more critically about how narratives are structured and whose perspective gets to drive the story. Lastly, we have studied how Afrofuturism resists this kind of framing by centering Black voices and imagining futures not defined by white saviorism. Artists like Janelle Monáe and writers like Octavia Butler show that Black people do not need to be mediated through whiteness to be seen or understood. While District 9 falls short in this regard, it still serves as a valuable starting point for thinking about race, power, and science fiction as tools for political critique.

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Afrofuturism In The Context of AI: The Worries

In my Afrofuturism course, we explored how Black artists, writers, and thinkers use science fiction and speculative futures to imagine liberation beyond systemic oppression. One topic that really stood out to me was the relationship between Afrofuturism and artificial intelligence. I found the intersection of technology and race both fascinating and deeply unsettling. Because of this, I decided to do more research outside of class, and what I discovered made me even more passionate about the issue. AI technologies are not objective tools. In many cases, they reflect and reinforce the same racial inequalities that Afrofuturism seeks to dismantle.

Outside of class, I have also learned how facial recognition software often misidentifies Black individuals. This led me to research the case of Robert Williams, a Black man in Detroit who was wrongfully arrested after a facial recognition system matched him to a surveillance image. The technology failed him, not because of random error, but because these systems are trained on data that overrepresents white features and underrepresents Black ones. This is not just a technical problem. It is a reflection of how systemic bias can become embedded in the very tools we trust to make fair decisions.

In class, we talked about AI spreading racial misinformation. Some AI programs have repeated the false conspiracy theory of a "white genocide" in South Africa. Despite being widely debunked, this narrative appears in AI-generated text and images because these systems pull from online content where such lies are still promoted. Seeing how AI can legitimize dangerous ideas under the appearance of neutrality was alarming. It made me realize that without critical oversight, AI can become a powerful amplifier of racism.

Additionally, we also studied the work of Janelle Monáe, whose album Dirty Computer imagines a future where Black queer people resist being erased by a technologically oppressive system. Her music and visuals helped me understand how Afrofuturism is not just about science fiction, but also about resistance and imagination. After learning that voice recognition software often struggles to understand African American Vernacular English, I saw how even basic digital tools can marginalize Black users by failing to recognize their voices and language.

This course has shown me that Afrofuturism is not only a form of artistic expression but also a powerful lens for analyzing modern technologies like AI. Through continued research, I have come to believe that Black voices must be central in the development and critique of AI. Only then can we ensure that the future we build is one that serves everyone, not just the powerful.

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My Thoughts on Sorry to Bother You by Boots Riley

During my class with Professor Due, Introduction to Afrofuturism, we watched the film Sorry to Bother You, directed by Boots Riley. From my first viewing during lecture, I was immediately struck by the way Riley used surrealism to critique capitalism, racism, and labor exploitation. What stood out most to me was the use of the “white voice” by the main character, Cassius Green. This instantly reminded me of code-switching and how Black people (including myself) often feel pressured to alter how they speak or behave in order to be accepted in white-dominated spaces. The voice wasn’t just about sounding different, but represented a complete disconnection from struggle, one that came with privilege and power. This made me reflect on how success in America, especially for Black people, sometimes requires compromising parts of your identity to fit into systems that were never made for you.

Another huge takeaway for me was how Sorry to Bother You critiques capitalism and the exploitation of labor. The company WorryFree offers people housing and food in exchange for lifetime labor contracts. On the surface, it’s framed like a solution to poverty and homelessness, but it’s really a modern version of slavery. It made me think about how certain jobs today still trap people in cycles of poverty, even though they’re “employed.” This connects to how low-wage workers are often praised for being essential but are barely paid enough to survive. Cassius’ rise in the company came at the cost of betraying his friends and community, which felt like a metaphor for how capitalism rewards individual success even if it means turning your back on collective struggle.

The turning point for me was when the film revealed the Equisapiens. Equisapiens are humans turned into horse hybrids to increase productivity (crazy, right). At first, it seemed completely ridiculous, but then I realized how powerful the metaphor was. It showed how corporations view workers as animals meant to perform, not as full human beings with needs and dignity. It reminded me of how athletes, particularly Black athletes, are pushed beyond their limits for entertainment and profit. Similar to the connection I made with the NBA in our discussion of Janelle Monáe’s “Many Moons,” I thought about how people can benefit from a system that ultimately uses them. 

Lastly, the film’s portrayal of media stuck with me. The show “I Got the S#*@ Kicked Out of Me” is a great example of how entertainment can distract us from real issues and even normalize violence. It’s scary how people will watch anything if it’s packaged the right way. That made me think about how desensitized we can get to the pain of others, especially when it’s turned into content. Overall, I valued watching Sorry to Bother You and the conversations it sparked in class and our discussion section. It helped me see how Afrofuturism uses futuristic and surreal storytelling to reflect real systemic issues. I hope that by you reading this, you’ll recognize how the bizarre and the real are often more connected than we think.

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My Earth Seed Community (Reimagining from Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler)

Two real-life issues that make it necessary to create my Earthseed community are climate change and war. In my situation, environmental collapse, such as wildfires, droughts, and rising sea levels, is increasingly displacing people and destabilizing communities. At the same time, global conflicts and political tensions are leading to violence, military actions, and widespread insecurity. My community will seek shelter from both the destruction caused by climate change and the constant threat of war that destabilizes societies and displaces vulnerable populations.

Two Earthseed verses I would apply are:

"The only lasting truth is Change. God is Change." (Butler, 29) This verse emphasizes the need to embrace change as a fundamental part of life. In my community, we will focus on adaptability, constantly evolving our practices to respond to environmental shifts and global unrest. Rather than resisting change, we will see it as an opportunity for growth and improvement.

"We are Earthseed. We are the people who will plant seeds of change in the world, change for the future, change for the stars." (Butler, 112) This verse speaks to the transformative power of collective action. Our community will focus on planting literal and metaphorical seeds, working together to create a better future while also dreaming of humanity’s potential to grow beyond Earth.

I will create my Earthseed community in Yosemite National Park, where the towering granite cliffs, waterfalls, and expansive forests provide natural shelter and a feeling of reverence, a feeling that will be important for my peers to appreciate our community and its values. The remote location offers a refuge from urban chaos and the risks of war, while the park’s ecosystem supports sustainable farming and living. Yosemite’s natural beauty will foster a deep connection to the land, while also giving us a space to grow and adapt to the challenges of the future. Even though Yosemite National Park is a great place, I do fear that people with ill intentions will discover us, considering we are in a National Park. This is why we will settle in more unknown locations of the park.

Anyone who shares the principles of Earthseed — respect for change, mutual care, and collective survival — can join. Those who seek to impose violence or exploit others for power will not be allowed, as they pose a threat to the safety and unity of the community.

Our leadership model will be a rotating council, with members elected for one-year terms. The council will make major decisions by consensus to ensure that no individual or group holds too much power, and all voices are heard.

To support the community's survival, we will employ solar-powered irrigation systems to ensure that our crops thrive despite climate uncertainty. These systems will also help us conserve water in case of droughts or other unexpected disruptions. Additionally, we will create a hyper-electromagnetic pulse (EMP) system that will disrupt invaders to find our civilization.

Two steps my Earthseed community will take to build a better future are education and sustainable farming. We will establish a school that teaches survival skills, Earthseed philosophy, and conflict resolution, preparing future generations to live peacefully and responsibly. Additionally, we will practice eco-friendly farming to ensure food security and environmental preservation for years to come.

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Janelle Monae's Many Moons

During week two of my class with Professor Due, Introduction to Afrofuturism, we watched the music video for Janelle Monáe’s “Many Moons” song off her 2008 album Metropolis: Suite l (The Chase). Off of my first watch during lecture, I immediately noticed Monáe’s theme of society’s treatment of android robots being similar to how society treated African Americans as slaves. This is evident as the music video depicts an annual auction being held. Within this auction, the androids are being placed on a bid. The message Monáe wants to convey is clear because all the androids are Black. We see the auction being in a format of a model runway. The androids walk down the runway in style and are prepped to appeal to the audience with the choice in hairstyle, clothing, and gestures. As intended, I noticed all of these details are connected to Black culture even when the timing is in the future. This goes to show that Black culture is essentially timeless and has always and will always be a target of the oppressors' aim for profit and entertainment. An example I can connect this to is the NBA. Even though a Black person did not invent basketball, the Black community did popularize the sport on a wide scale and helped shape the way the game is played today. While the Black community does gain the benefits of basketball through contracts and entertainment, the large stakeholders in the NBA are not Black. This makes me wonder how this came to be and why Black people are in the highest executive positions for the sport that they helped provide a platform for. I also feel this way about companies such as Nike, which use Black athletes to leverage their profits. 

Circling back to “Many Moons”, Janelle Monáe also shows the buyers and people behind the scenes running the auction. The next part I am about to say is up for interpretation/controversial, but I believe Monáe chose to have the people behind the scenes be Black people to say that Black people may be influenced by money and greed to contribute to a system of oppression, even if this means having your culture and race be destroyed at the same time. The reason why I argue for this interpretation is that we see that Black people are the ones behind the masks and are helping the auction run its course. While this can simply imply that there are other races at play using Black bodies to run their business, this can also be taken as them being the ones having a large position in running the show. While I have yet to hear or see any other explanation for this part, I am open to other breakdowns. 

The music video is very complex and overstimulating so on my first watch, I was unable to catch all of the lyrics in the song. On my later listens, I was eventually able to understand what Monáe is iterating. Essentially, she is mentioning historical events of oppression amongst the Black community, such as the Underground Railroad, Jim Crow, and anti-Black propaganda. This is important because she is saying how these problems still linger in contemporary society and will continue to exist in the future at this rate. 

Overall, I really valued Janelle Monáe’s “Many Moons” and the discussions that arose from this song and music video in Professor Due’s Introduction to Afrofuturism class. This helped me understand how technological advancements can be representations of systematic oppression, and I hope that by you reading this, you understand as well.