Back in early May Substantial teamed up with the North Carolina Museum of Art along with Grammy-nominated musician Pierce Freelon for a roundtable discussion about the history and future of Afrofuturism, its role in the arts, and its impact on Black culture. Our panelists included Valerie Johnson, dean of arts, sciences, and humanities at Shaw University; Carly Jones, president and CEO of ArtSpace; Fabian Williams, visual artist; and Jalen Jackson, ArtSpace HBCU student in residence.
While the conversation centered around defining afrofuturism, it also allowed our audience to explore its rich history, vibrant arts, and profound cultural impact. We shared examples of how, for some time now, we have been
drawing inspiration from the African diaspora and envisioning futuristic narratives centered on Black
experiences. Afrofuturism is not only a way of looking at the future and alternate realities through a Black cultural lens, it is Black people creating the future as we know and want it to be.
Photography provided by Jonathon Leach, Shots by Cash, Randy Curtis, 8bitCreatives
A special thank you to the North Carolina Museum of Art for hosting this event and providing free admission to the Ruth E. Cater: Afrofuturism in Costume Design exhibition.
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