Join a free virtual talk on “Afrofuturism”. The term was first coined by cultural critic Mark Dery, in his 1994 essay “Black to the Future,” which described a decades-old cultural and theoretical phenomenon that had since spanned several countries in the African diaspora.


It is our great pleasure to invite you to a virtual lecture by the German-American Fulbright Commission.

Fulbright alumna Prof. Dr. Priscilla Layne (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and Fulbright alumnus Prof. Dr. Dennis Chester (California State University, East Bay) on 16 December 2021 at 7:00 pm CET | 1:00 pm EDT | 10:00 am PDT.

Dr. Cathleen Fisher, Executive Director of Fulbright Germany, will open the event.

 

About Afrofuturism

"The term “Afrofuturism” was first coined by cultural critic Mark Dery, in his 1994 essay “Black to the Future,” which described a decades-old cultural and theoretical phenomenon that had since spanned several countries in the African diaspora. Afrofuturism encompassed the space fantasies of jazz artist Sun Ra and the sci-fi stories and novels of Octavia Butler, and African diasporic artists’ engagement with science, science fiction, speculative fiction, and fantasy.

Dery proposed that African Americans, in particular, had found solace in engaging in sci-fi narratives, whether in literature, music, or film. Considering the strangeness of African diasporic life, science fiction had become one of the most suitable genres for addressing their experiences." (Priscilla Layne)

The two speakers will prepare an introductory summary on Afrofuturism with recommended articles, books, short movies, and music for all registered participants.


December 16, 2021 at 7:00 pm CET | 1:00 pm EDT | 10:00 am PDT

Register here 


Find out more about German-American Fulbright Commission here.