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Afrofuturism

 

We have talked about Afro-futurism in class with a professor, who is an expert in the field.

Before this lesson, I am going to be completely honest, I didn’t know so much about Afrofuturism: I knew it was a particular aesthetic involving Afro American culture especially because of Beyoncé’s latest visual and musical works and the “Black Panther” movies, but I learned that it was much more than that. It deals with a speculative fiction that treats African American themes and addresses African-American concerns in the context of the 20th century techno-culture and it has a very long history started in the 70s before today’s visuals. It has been particularly interesting for me, since I study English literature at the University, in fact this lesson gave me the opportunity to add to my cultural background another perspective in the field of African American literary works. I find the sounds of this particular movement very catchy; they make me want to dance! I think one of the strengths of the Afrofuturism is the collective engagement, main feature of the black music, and the colorful and powerful visuals, that catch the eye of the spectator.

Personally, I love Afrofuturism both as an aesthetic and in music, especially because it makes me feel powerful and alive!

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