Happy Juneteenth! This year, we’re celebrating with a display about Afrofuturism. We’ve got academic texts to get you started learning about this incredible movement, plus some awesome Afrofuturistic reads!
What is Juneteenth?
The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture offers this description of the first Juneteenth:
On June 19, 1865, nearly two years after President Abraham Lincoln emancipated enslaved Africans in America, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas with news of freedom. More than 250,000 African Americans embraced freedom by executive decree in what became known as Juneteenth or Freedom Day.
Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday by the Biden Administration in June of 2021. It’s a holiday that celebrates the achievements and resilience of the Black community, with special emphasis on history and community.
You can learn more about Juneteenth by checking out Annette Gordon-Reed’s On Juneteenth from our collection!
What is Afrofuturism?
Afrofuturism is defined by Oxford Languages as “a movement in literature, music, art, etc., featuring futuristic or science fiction themes which incorporate elements of Black history and culture.”
Afrofuturism issues an invitation to the entire African diaspora to imagine a future for Black Liberation often through the arts, politics, science and technology. It can be considered a tool for mending one's perception of self and society. Some Afrofuturist icons include author Octavia Butler, hip-hop duo OutKast, and actors like Lupita Nyong’o and Janelle Monáe.
On Display
The Black Speculative Arts Movement: Black Futurity, Art + Design by Reynaldo Anderson (2019, Lexington Books).
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (2016, Seven Stories Press).
Afrofuturism Rising: The Literary Prehistory of a Movement by Isiah Lavender III (2019, The Ohio State University Press).
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (2018, Tom Doherty Associates, LLC).
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon (2017, Akashic Books).
Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures by Kevin Michael Angelo Strait (2024, Smithsonian Books).
Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction by Sheree R. Thomas (2022, Tom Doherty Associates).
A Pure Solar World: Sun Ra and the Birth of Afrofuturism by Paul Youngquist (2016, University of Texas Press).
Ebooks
Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia E. Butler, adapted by Damian Duffy (2017, Abrams ComicArts).
Speculative Blackness: The Future of Race in Science Fiction by André M Carrington (2016, University of Minnesota Press).
Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements by Walidah Imarisha (2015, AK Press).
Black and Brown Planets: The Politics of Race in Science Fiction by Isiah Lavender III (2014, University Press of Mississippi).
Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture by Ytasha Womack (2013, Lawrence Hill Books).
Additional Resources
Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures Exhibition from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture.
"Ask the Expert: MSU Professor Julian Chambliss on "What is Afrofuturism?" from Michigan State University.
Juneteenth: Sun, Sounds and the Spirit of Freedom from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture.
Remember, all books in this exhibit are available for circulation. If you see something you would like to read, ask a library staff member for assistance and we will happily check it out to you!
Any questions? Comments? Did we miss your favorite book? Reach out to us at library@bryant.edu