Afro Futurism: Knowledge, Vibration and Power
Where there is no vision the people will perish. Where there is no knowledge of self there can be no real actualization of divine vision. If it is our aim as humans to actualize and cultivate our divine nature, knowledge of self is the fundamental building block in this pursuit.
The African American experience is a deep psychological journey through societally imposed self-loathing, deconstruction, meditation and reinvention that must be undertaken in order to advance toward actualizing and empowering self.
I don’t recall when I first heard the term “Afro Futurism”. I do remember that my initial response to the term was to take it at face value; clearly it meant that there would be black authors and filmmakers creating sci-fi works with black characters. By itself that seemed a promising venture, to reframe the world’s perspective on Africa & Africans throughout the diaspora, and more importantly our perspective and understanding of ourselves as Africans.
Delan Bruce defines Afrofuturism as “the story of musicians, artists, writers, philosophers, fashion icons, filmmakers, costume and set designers, actors, activists and academics who have believed in a better future for Black people — and for all people.“
-https://newsroom.ucla.edu/magazine/afrofuturism
And so, as I now see it, (to paraphrase Mr. Bruce) Afro Futurism is understanding of self and actualization of self, through knowledge and wisdom of stories past & present, projected into a future where Africa and Africans are free, prosperous & manifesting divine energy.
From this perspective, a deeper reflection of the term unveils a spiritual journey springing forth from the James Cone school of Black Liberation theology, a real time evolution of black spiritual redemption that sees the world through the lens of God’s redeeming power manifested through the struggle and triumph of black existence against the forces of white supremacy.
Afro Futurism is a space for black artists to free our minds and free this earth. With this understanding we strive as artists not just to create from an isolated perspective but always with the aim to liberate and elevate consciousness for all parties who partake, no matter their color.
The embedded point is that in a time when the poisonous mental and physical violence of white supremacy and the white power movement once again rears its head, Afro futurism offers the world an alternative: Black power, Black Love truth and justice for all because Black Power understands that a world that liberates the philosophy of black power and love is constructive and beneficial for all people. It is not destructive self seeking and divisive bc it espouses the fundamental truth that our divinity cannot abide with these negative traits.
Further, in a more concrete and practical sense, Afro Futurism acknowledges the fundamental reality that for better or for worse, economy and resources are factors in building society and community, . Afro Futurism understands that it takes energy to move, shape and utilize resources and it seeks to do so for the sake of maximizing benefit for all in the community.
Energy manifests in vibration and we maximize our resources as Afro Futurists, individually and collectively through seeking our highest vibration and amplifying this vibration through connection in thought word( sound) and action.
So let us walk in the light of truth justice and our highest frequency to build a better earth and a better future through the shared understanding of Afro Futurism.
