History Main / Afrofuturism

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/TheBlackPanther http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_black_panther_cast_social.png]]]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/picsart_11_28_103751.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350: ''[[Film/BlackPanther2018 Step]] [[Film/{{Blade}} into]] [[Film/GetOut2017 the]] [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends spot]][[Music/JanelleMonae light.]]'']]

-->[[Music/SunRa Sun Ra]]

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* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' champion Ekko, the Boy Who Shattered Time. A street-smart, anti-authoritarian black kid capable of [[TimeMaster manipulating time with his high-tech equipment.]]

[[caption-width-right:350: ''[[Film/BlackPanther2018 Step]] [[Film/{{Blade}} into]] [[Film/GetOut2017 the]] [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends spotlight.spot]][[Music/JanelleMonae light.]]'']]

[[caption-width-right:350: [[IncrediblyLamePun Black]] to the future.[[note]]Clockwise from top left: [[Film/BlackPanther2018 T'Challa,]] [[Film/{{Blade}} Blade,]] [[Music/JanelleMonae Cindi Mayweather,]] and [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Ekko.]] Center: [[Film/GetOut Chris]][[/note]]]]

* ComicBook/BlackPanther is probably the first example that comes to mind in discussions of Afrofuturism. Thanks to the amazing capabilities of the metal vibranium, the African nation of Wakanda is the most technologically advanced society on Marvel earth.

* ComicBook/MoonGirlAndDevilDinosaur features a genius young girl and latent [[ComicBook/TheInhumans Inhuman]] who later develops the ability to [[spoiler:FreakyFridayFlip]] and teams up with a bright Tyrannosaurus Rex from an Main/AlternateUniverse, named [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs Devil Dinosaur]], to battle an evil caveman tribe also from said dimension. They later go on to have adventures in space, encounter [[Main/GeniusLoci Ego the Living Planet]] and join up with the ComicBook/SecretWarriors2017.

Afrofuturism is an artistic genre that melds SpeculativeFiction with the cultures and experiences of Black people around the globe. [[note]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrofuturism As]] Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} puts it: "A cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science, and philosophy of history that combines elements of {{science fiction}}, {{historical fiction}}, {{fantasy}}, [[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Afrocentric Afrocentrism]], and {{magic realism}} with non-Western cosmologies in order to critique not only the present-day dilemmas of black people, but also to revise, interrogate, and re-examine the historical events of the past...Afrofuturism addresses themes and concerns of the African diaspora through a technoculture and science fiction lens, encompassing a range of media and artists with a shared interest in envisioning black futures that stem from Afrodiasporic experiences."[[/note]]

Afrofuturism is an artistic genre that melds SpeculativeFiction with the cultures and experiences of Black people around the globe. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrofuturism As]] Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} puts it:

->A cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science, and philosophy of history that combines elements of {{science fiction}}, {{historical fiction}}, {{fantasy}}, [[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Afrocentric Afrocentrism]], and {{magic realism}} with non-Western cosmologies in order to critique not only the present-day dilemmas of black people, but also to revise, interrogate, and re-examine the historical events of the past...Afrofuturism addresses themes and concerns of the African diaspora through a technoculture and science fiction lens, encompassing a range of media and artists with a shared interest in envisioning black futures that stem from Afrodiasporic experiences.

[[caption-width-right:350: ''[[Film/BlackPanther2018 Step]] [[Film/{{Blade}} into]] [[Film/GetOut2017 the]] [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends spot]][[Music/JanelleMonae light.]]'']]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/picsart_11_28_101207.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350: ''[[Film/BlackPanther2018 Step]] [[Film/{{Blade}} into]] [[Film/GetOut2017 the]] [[VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends spotlight.]]'']]

--> '''George Clinton, describing the inspiration for ''Mothership Connection'':''' We had put black people in situations nobody ever thought they would be in, like the White House. I figured another place you wouldn't think black people would be was in outer space. I was a [[OneOfUs big fan]] of ''StarTrek'', so we did a thing with a pimp sitting in a spaceship shaped like a Cadillac, and we did all these James Brown-type grooves, but with street talk and ghetto slang.

When adding examples, bear in mind this trope is not simply "black people IN SPACE!" It refers to science fiction and fantasy that specifically draws on the aesthetics and history of African and African American cultures.

[[AC:Comics]]

* The ''Pan-African Judges'' comics set in the ''Comicbook/JudgeDredd'' universe.

[[AC:Film - Live Action]]
* The movie version of Wakanda (as seen in the trailers for ''Film/BlackPanther2018''), like its comic counterpart, hosts technology on par with (if not far in advanced of) any of the technology we've seen so far in the [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]].

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:Music]]

--> ''[[{{Determinator}} "Imma keep leading like a young Harriet Tubman]]''
--> ''You can take my wings but I'm still gonna fly''
--> ''And even when you edit me the booty don't lie''
--> ''Yeah keep singing, I'mma keep writing songs''
--> ''I'm tired of [[Creator/MarvinGaye Marvin]] asking me, "What's Going On?"''
--> ''March to the streets 'cause I'm willing and I'm able''
--> ''[[BadassBoast Categorize me, I defy every label]]''
--> ''And while you're selling dope, we're gonna keep selling hope''
--> ''We risin' up now, you gotta deal you gotta cope''
--> ''Will you be electric sheep? Electric ladies, will you sleep?''
--> ''[[DareToBeBadass Or will you preach?]]''

[[AC: Live-Action TV]]

[[AC: Tabletop Gaming]]

[[AC: Video Games]]

* ''LeagueOfLegends'' champion Ekko, the Boy Who Shattered Time. A street-smart, anti-authoritarian black kid capable of [[TimeMaster manipulating time with his high-tech equipment.]]

When adding examples, bear in mind this trope is not simply "black people [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]" It refers to science fiction and fantasy that specifically draws on the aesthetics and history of African and African American cultures.

->A cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science, and philosophy of history that combines elements of ScienceFiction, HistoricalFiction, {{Fantasy}}, [[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Afrocentric Afrocentrism]], and MagicRealism with non-Western cosmologies in order to critique not only the present-day dilemmas of black people, but also to revise, interrogate, and re-examine the historical events of the past...Afrofuturism addresses themes and concerns of the African diaspora through a technoculture and science fiction lens, encompassing a range of media and artists with a shared interest in envisioning black futures that stem from Afrodiasporic experiences.

This trope is not simply "black people [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]" It refers to science fiction and fantasy that specifically draws on the aesthetics and history of African and African American cultures.

->A cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science, and philosophy of history that combines elements of ScienceFiction, HistoricalFiction, {{Fantasy}}, Afrocentrism, and MagicRealism with non-Western cosmologies in order to critique not only the present-day dilemmas of black people, but also to revise, interrogate, and re-examine the historical events of the past...Afrofuturism addresses themes and concerns of the African diaspora through a technoculture and science fiction lens, encompassing a range of media and artists with a shared interest in envisioning black futures that stem from Afrodiasporic experiences.

Afrofuturism is an artistic genre that melds SpeculativeFiction with the cultures and experiences of Black people around the globe. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrofuturism As]] TheOtherWiki puts it:

-->A cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science, and philosophy of history that combines elements of ScienceFiction, HistoricalFiction, {{Fantasy}}, Afrocentrism, and MagicRealism with non-Western cosmologies in order to critique not only the present-day dilemmas of black people, but also to revise, interrogate, and re-examine the historical events of the past...Afrofuturism addresses themes and concerns of the African diaspora through a technoculture and science fiction lens, encompassing a range of media and artists with a shared interest in envisioning black futures that stem from Afrodiasporic experiences.

* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' has the city of Numbani in the West-African savanna. It is a gorgeous, technologically advanced metropolis built after the [[GreatOffscreenWar Omnic Crisis]] and is one of the few places where humans and [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots omnics]] live side by side in peace, working together to create a Utopian Africa. As a result, it is unofficially known as "The City of Harmony". Certain characters have special dialog on the location, ranging from admiring its peace to rage and disgust at the idea of tolerating omnics.

While black artists have been writing science fiction since the 1860s[[note]] Martin R. Delaney's [[https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Blake_or_the_Huts_of_America_1859-1861#start_entry Blake, or the Huts of America]], an AlternateHistory novel about an attempted slave insurrection in the antebellum South, was published in 1859[[/note]], the concept and term were coined in the early 1990s by Mark Dery's essay/interview series [[https://www.kit.ntnu.no/sites/www.kit.ntnu.no/files/Black%20to%20the%20Future%20(Dery)_0.pdf Black to the Future"]], which contrasted the seeming lack of African-American science fiction writers with the preponderance of sci-fi/fantasy elements found in the work of other African-American musicians and artists at the time.

This trope is not simply "black people [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]" It refers to science fiction and fantasy that is specifically draws on the aesthetics and history of African and African American cultures.

* Creator/DwayneMcDuffie's early work with DC imprint Milestone Media was centered around creating minority heroes, many with a sci-fi bent. One of his creations, ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'', became popular enough to star in his own award-winning TV show.

* The move version of Wakanda (as seen in the trailers for ''Film/BlackPanther2018''), like its comic counterpart, hosts technology on par with (if not far in advanced of) any of the technology we've seen so far in the [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]].

* Steven Barnes: Final member of the "Big Three". A frequent collaborator with Creator/LarryNiven, and writer on sci-fi shows such as ''Outer Limits'' and ''Stargate SG-1''
* Creator/NKJemisin tends to get labelled as an Afrofuturist writer given that she's who writes science fiction and fantasy. She [[https://www.tor.com/2016/05/09/author-event-nk-jemisin-nnedi-okorafor-brooklyn-museum/ contests]] the label, however, finding it reductive and ill-defined.

* The novel ''Literature/InvisibleMan'' uses the power of {{Invisibility}} as a metaphor for living as a black person in America.
* ''Literature/MumboJumbo'': AlternateHistory novel (with elements of UrbanFantasy) set in TheRoaringTwenties about a millennia-old AncientConspiracy devoted to suppressing black history and culture

* In [[Creator/IsaacAsimov Isaac Asimov's]], ''Literature/IRobot'' universe, the Tropic Region (a unified Africa, South America, Latin America and Mexico) eventually becomes Earth's primary economic driver, while Europe sinks into a sleepy backwater that's more of a retirement community writ-large than anything else.
* ''Literature/AlienInASmallTown.'' Set in the 24th century, only a brief section near the end of the book is set in [[UsefulNotes/{{Zimbabwe}} Zimbabwe,]] but we learn that Earth's capital city is located there, and it seems to be a generally good place to live. Tendai grew up here, and he shows his wife Indira the country's [[AncientAfrica ancient stone cities,]] wildlife preserves, etc. Notably, there is a monument to all who died in the AIDS plague of our own time, and to those who died under "the vile 21st century tyrant Mugabe."

* {{Beyonce}} incorporates Afrofuturist elements into her music videos and live performances, such as her [[https://robobeyonce.wordpress.com/2015/03/30/beyonce-the-queen-of-afrofuturism/ robotic costuming in the music video and live performance of "Sweet Dreams"]], and her cyborg hand in the "Single Ladies" video. Most notably ''Music/{{Lemonade}}'' leans heavily into the "fantasy" side of Afrofuturism, using religious imagery inspired by Yoruba and Christianity as well as referencing famous African-American legends such as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igbo_Landing Igbo Landing]].

* ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''

* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'': New Mombasa, Kenya is a high-tech city and spaceport. At least when ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'' begins, before there's lots of StuffBlowingUp. The horrible nature of the place is brought up in ''VideoGame/Halo3ODST'', when we learn that TheLeader of the police is a DirtyCop and molester.
* One of the campaigns of ''VideoGame/EmpireEarth 2: The Art of Supremacy'' takes place during [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture the "Synthetic Age" (202X-204X)]] (featuring things like nanotech enhanced soldiers and giant mecha) in Africa, and deals with the poor native taking up arms against the exploitative [[MegaCorp megacorps]]. It ends with Africa becoming a technologically advanced world superpower.
* Played with in ''VideoGame/DreamfallTheLongestJourney'' and its sequel ''VideoGame/DreamfallChapters'', which takes place in a {{Cyberpunk}} future where most of Africa has risen as one of the world's leading economic superpowers following several economic collapses and crises in Europe and America. As a result, most African countries is consistently portrayed and described as peaceful, idyllic, and prosperous; a stark contrast to the run-down and polluted, borderline dystropic Europe.

* Creator/SamuelRDelany: One of the "Big Three" in afrofuturism (specifically he was one of the author's name dropped in Dery's 1994 essay), famous for being one of the first major black science fiction writers to break into the mainstream[[note]]That we know of; given the prevalence of anonymous authors during the earlier eras of science-fiction it's quite possible some of said authors were black, or at least non-white[[/note]]. Works such as "Aye, and Gomorrah..." were groundbreaking in their time for their explorations of race and sexuality.

This trope is not simply Black People IN SPACE! It refers to science fiction and fantasy that is specifically draws on the aesthetics and history of African and African American cultures.

* Music/SunRa combined alien and space motifs with African and Egyptian imagery.

--> '''George Clinton, describing the inspiration for ''Mothership Connection'':''' We had put black people in situations nobody ever thought they would be in, like the White House. I figured another place you wouldn't think black people would be was in outer space. I was a [[OneOfUs big fan]] of Star Trek, so we did a thing with a pimp sitting in a spaceship shaped like a Cadillac, and we did all these James Brown-type grooves, but with street talk and ghetto slang.