A vision of freedom: Afrofuturism picked as theme for MSU Juneteenth celebration – MLive.com

EAST LANSING, MI - What is Afrofuturism? To Matt Dery, the author who coined the term in 1994, its speculative fiction that treats African-American themes, and addresses African-American concerns through the lens of science fiction, fantasy and technological themes.

To Julian Chambliss, a Michigan State University English professor, speculation is only a part of the definition.

I often define it as the intersection between speculation and liberation from an African-American or African-diasporic perspective, he said, referencing the migration of enslaved African people to the Americas. Its about thinking about freedom, thinking about liberation. Thinking about safety and equity.

Chambliss is the keynote speaker at MSUs Juneteenth celebration, which will explore Afrofuturism as its main theme.

The celebration starts at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, June 17, at the Breslin Student Events Center. It is the universitys second Juneteenth celebration,. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans in the United States.

What were doing is acknowledging the history of enslaved Africans in this country, the oppression that took place during the period of slavery, but just this journey toward liberation in various ways since then, said Jabbar Bennett, MSUs chief diversity officer. Whether its social, educational, professional or cultural.

The Juneteenth celebration shows MSUs commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, said MSU President Samuel Stanley.

Afrofuturism helps people go beyond definitions of Black people typically imposed by our culture, Bennett said. That is why it was selected as this years Juneteenth theme, he added.

It pushes this internal or cultural sort of ideas and aspiration opposed to the framing or the parameters in which many people have placed over Black people over the years, he said. It breaks out of the box.

Chambliss explored Afrofuturism as a theme in his lecture Afrofantastic. It can be viewed here.

African expressions of liberation go back to the formation of the country, Chambliss said, citing Black people petitioning for freedom in state legislatures during the American Revolution. While Dery came up with the term Afrofuturism in the 1990s, Black art has demonstrated its tenets throughout American history, such as the Harlem Renaissance, jazz and more.

More recent examples include the Marvel Studios movie Black Panther, the HBO series Watchmen and the work of filmmaker Jordan Peele, Chambliss said. Each operate in the Afrofuturist sphere in different ways, he said.

Black Panther is basically a what if, he said. What if Africa had not been the victim of imperialist expansion and colonial exploitation?

Watchmen reclaimed the Black historical event of the Tulsa massacre on Black Wall Street in 1921, he added, while Peeles work explores Black identity in white power structures.

Speculating around liberation really calls attention to choices that are made that allow the system to function and also highlights that you can make a different choice, he said of the works.

The Juneteenth celebration will also feature art displays of the Harlem Renaissance, Black Wall Street exhibitions, a fashion gala, live music and refreshments, the release states.

By recognizing Juneteenth, MSU sends the message that we value the strength, perseverance and contributions of our African American community, Bennett said.

The turn toward Afrofuturism as a theme for the Juneteenth celebration is exciting, said Chambliss. It offers the opportunity for our community to recognize the enduring legacy of an African American vision of freedom.

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A vision of freedom: Afrofuturism picked as theme for MSU Juneteenth celebration - MLive.com