Afrofuturism Final Project Script Recording

Afrofuturism aims to challenge the dominance of white characters in popular media and create spaces for black representation. It can reimagine the past, present, and future to highlight black stories and promote black excellence. Afrofuturist works humanize black people by showcasing their complex emotions and desires. Feminism is also linked with Afrofuturism to promote female voices and diminish sexism. Works like "The Deep" and "Fledgling" center on black females with power and responsibility. They show that past narratives don't define black people and can be changed for the better. Octavia Butler's "Fledgling" rewrites the vampire narrative, replacing the white male protagonist with a black female. "Django Unchained" rewrites the slave and Western narratives, highlighting black resistance and destroying institutions of racism. These works encourage black people to take action and play central roles in society. The current norm in popular media across our country is one that is white. White characters dominate TV shows and movies across all genres. Afrofuturism aims to dismantle this notion and create spaces in the present for blacks to exist and be represented, which will secure a prominent role not only in media but in society at large for black people in the future. To create this present space, Susanna Morris, writer of Black Girls are from the Future, argues for the importance of transgressive manifestations of reality that ultimately present possibilities for our own decidedly unenchanted world. These realities that challenge the white norm and promote black representation can be set in the past, present, or future. For example, Afrofuturism can focus on or reimagine the past to highlight forgotten black stories or change prior narratives. Afrofuturism can also imagine futuristic worlds centered around black excellence. All these Afrofuturist stories will be viewed in the present, which encourages black people to undertake prominent roles in all aspects of modern life, thus carving out a place for black people in the future. Afrofuturism also humanizes black people by highlighting their complex emotions and desires that reflect the sentiments of all people. All the work we engage with this semester furthers the goal of Afrofuturism of creating spaces for black people to exist and thrive in settings they previously had no representation in. For example, Samuel Delany reimagines Greek mythology and pop culture with black characters. In his novel, The Einstein Intersection, the main character, a black, human-like alien named Lobie, fights to save his love and discover his identity, both of which are key to the human experience. As Lobie travels through mystical lands, his experiences mimic common Greek mythologies like the Minotaur myth and other stories such as Judas' betrayal. Delany rewrites these stories with a black twist and imagines them through a black perspective. Doing so creates a space that allows black people to see themselves as heroes in many of the common stories and culture that were previously white-centered. Delany cements black people and futuristic worlds as well by creating an alien species that is black and has a vibrant culture and society. The novel not only puts a black character at the center of past and future narratives, but also reminds the audience that black people chase love and struggle with identity, much like everyone else. Returning to Black Girls are from the Future, Morris argues that Afrofuturism must be linked with feminism to promote female voices. Creating black female characters in Afrofuturist works shows females that they will be part of the future and can have prominent roles in whatever fields they choose. Afrofuturism, feminism, also diminishes sexism within the movement and creates nuances in sexuality and gender. The novels, The Deep and Fledgling, center on black females with great power and responsibility. The Deep shows young black girls that they can be community leaders as the main character, Yetu, carries the incredible burden of carrying her people's history and culture. The characters of the novel are the Wajinru, which is once again a reimagination of the past as they are descendants of pregnant slaves thrown off slave ships. However, these fish-like beings have revitalized their community, all while battling through a painful history. The author, Rivers Solomons, shows that past narratives don't define black people and can be changed to create thriving societies even with traumatic pasts. Yetu also represents the struggle that all people can relate to, a balancing pressure and responsibility. In Fledgling, Octavia Butler reconstructs the vampire narrative by replacing the classic white male protagonist with a black female. The protagonist, Shori, protects those she feeds from, and they travel as a team trying to save Shori's Ina family. Shori is not over-sexualized or evil like other vampiric characters, but someone who fights to gain respect and trust with her symbionts. The creation of a black female vampire destroys current white male norms. Butler shows that black females can insert themselves into any previously white-dominated field and be a change for the better. Highlighting that black females can be the protagonists of science fiction novels, Butler proves that black females can be leaders and help their community. Ending with one of my favorite movies, I would like to analyze Django Unchained, which rewrites both the slave and Western narratives. Django stars Jamie Foxx, who plays a freed slave that becomes the bounty hunter partner of Dr. King Schultz. Throughout the film, while amassing skill and expertise, Django searches for his still-enslaved wife, much like Lobie from Einstein Intersection. Both characters have a simple and relatable goal and must rewrite narratives to accomplish it. Django reminds the audience that there were many black cowboys and forms of resistance to slavery, which encourages the audience to learn these forgotten histories. Django also blends truth and fantasy to create a new story with an incredibly powerful black man who destroys multiple institutions of racism. Putting a bow on the film and our class, Django ends with him blowing up a slave plantation and walking into the loving arms of his now-freed wife as they can restart their free life together. Django reminds all viewers, especially black viewers, that action can destroy oppressive systems and that black people will be central figures in present and future societies.