Afrofuturism

Early works like Metropolis (1927), often showed future worlds controlled by white men, which left out Black perspectives. Afrofuturism reclaims this space, mixing science fiction, history and fantasy to put Black people at the centre of futuristic stories. By challenging the absence of Black people in sci-fi, Afrofuturism celebrates identity, culture, and freedom. It puts Black people at the center of futuristic stories, challenging their absence in sci-fi.

Music and art have been key to Afrofuturism for decades. In the 1970s, Sun Ra proclaimed himself an Egyptian god and an alien from Saturn, while George Clinton’s Mothership Connection tied space travel to ancient pyramids. Egyptian Lover was also inspired by the ancient Egypt, and the futuristic sounds of Afrika Bambaataa. Missy Elliot’s futuristic videos focus on empowerment through technology, and Beyoncé reimagined the robot from Metropolis as a symbol of Black utopia. Afrofuturism questions power structures and reconnects with lost histories to imagine new possibilities for Black liberation. It imagines bold futures of pride and resistance.

Early Afrofuturism
George Clinton’s Mothership Connection (1976) put Black culture at the centre of new, unexplored worlds. Clinton said, “We had put Black people in situations nobody ever thought they would be in… I figured another place you wouldn’t think Black people would be was in outer space.” Nichelle Nichols made history by literally bringing Black representation to space as Lt. Nyota Uhura in Star Trek (1966). She was the first Black woman to have a major TV role, inspiring women of all backgrounds to pursue careers in space. Then in The Wiz (1978), The Wizard of Oz was retold with an all-Black cast, exploring Black identity and magic, while pushing Afrofuturism into new genres.

Afrofuturism today
Afrofuturism continues to shape TV, film, and music today. Marvel’s Blade (1998) was a game-changer, featuring a Black superhero with a cyberpunk edge. Janelle Monáe’s cyborg persona, Cindi Mayweather, flips the imagery of Metropolis to represent android power, which stands in for marginalised people. Her work blends Black pride and queer identity with speculative creativity.

Neptune Frost (2021) merges Rwandan culture with a cyberpunk rebellion against digital control, while Pumzi (2009) imagines a post-apocalyptic East Africa, focusing on environmental collapse and the hope for renewal. In gaming, Tales of Kenzera: Zau (2024) explores a universe inspired by Bantu mythology, where players harness cosmic powers and confront ancestral loss.

“To me, Afrofuturism… is Black folks defining our futures, telling stories about us, for us, showing us thriving, unapologetically”– Janelle Monáe