As author and scholar Ytasha L. Womack explains, Afrofuturism is an artistic genre that blends imagination, technology, Black cultures, liberation, and mysticism. It is a “way of looking at the future and alternate realities through a Black cultural lens,” including those from Africa and the African diaspora. Typically seen through an artistic aesthetic of music, visual art, dance, film, or literature, Womack also explains that the genre can be a method of self-liberation and healing by using imagination to transcend circumstances and creating agency.
Currently, Marvel’s Black Panther film is the most widely known and popular example of Afrofuturism. In literature, authors from Womack to Octavia E. Butler to N.K. Jemisin and so many more are acclaimed for their work in the space.
Whether you are looking for an imaginative and liberating read or are looking for a suggestion for the 2021 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge’s Afrofuturism prompt, pick up one of these Afrofuturist favorites.
