Science Fiction has an annoying tendency to make claims on
race and racisms without having to use, or give voice to, actual people of
colour. For example, District 9 (2009) make assertions on South African
Apartheid by using Aliens (and the depictions of actual Black people are
problematic to say the least), and films such as Gattaca (1997) choose
to explore a future world where a white, heterosexual man is discriminated
against.
It wasn’t until fairly recently that I learnt of a whole
different wave of science fiction media, one that embraced and embodied the
voices of those who are erased from so much of our mainstream films. Afrofuturism
describes an epistemology that explores African-American history and social
issues through the media of modern techno culture and Science Fiction.
So what is the importance of Afrofuturism? And what does it offer? Ytasha Womack, author of Afrofuturism: the World of Black Sci-Fi Fantasy and Fantasy Culture, says that the lack of Black people within Hollywood and Science Fiction makes as though Black people are “erased from the past, erased from the future, and you’re hovering in the here and now, waiting for someone to write a story with our complexion in it” (Thrasher, 2015). Already through the content we have experienced and analysed throughout this course can be seen as evidence of this erasure.
Want to know more about Afrofuturism? Read the rest of the article with Ytasha Womack here.
Interesting post! I love sci-fi as a genre but am often so disappointed in how it ends up perpetuating tired old racist tropes and ideology. You would think in a genre which has so few barriers and so much creative potential since it isn't weighted in the "real" world you could witness some interesting dialogue emerge. Afrofuturism is a really interesting and cool counter to mainstream sci-fi which pretty much just doesn't have poc in it. I would also struggle to call the Force Awakens a work of Afrofuturism. I feel like a sci-fi film isn't a work of Afrofuturism simply by having black folk in it, it really needs to have some conscious effort to address black issues to actually fall into the genre. Have you seen 'Space is the Place'? That is a really classic example of Afrofuturism and an awesome film. I highly suggest it! <3
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I do have a slight concern with afro-futurist theory in general and it is somewhat expressed in your post Joni.
ReplyDeleteWhen a studio or writer, director etc. attempts to implicate what they feel is afro-futurist and they don't do a good enough job; as you have suggested with simply using Lupita's voice rather than face, then these industries are deterred from trying again.
Application of afro-futurism from a non-white source is not the easiest thing to attempt or succeed in. It's somewhat similar to talking out theory. White people making movies with white actors for a white audience is how a vast majority of mainstream media can be defined since the boom of talking pictures in the 1930's. There is a small number of films that involve African American creators speaking to an African American audience with African American actors; Precious (2009) is the only one that comes to mind.
When directors like J.J. Abrahms try to talk out by attempting to bring in African American talent and audiences one can assume they are at least being genuine, although fairly dim, about mainstream media equality.
I think Afro-futurism does have a long way to go in contemporary film but is at least on the right track, it's now a case of continuing that movement =)