afrofuturistaffair:

Check out my guest spot on the blog of Science Fiction Author Alicia McCalla, where I give some thoughts on Afrofuturism, the novel Kindred, and time travel. - R.Phillips

(via experimentaltimeorder)

What is a Persona?

A persona is the fictional person you wish to have been had you lived during the period of time your Steamfunk setting covers, or had you lived in the world in which your Steamfunk stories are set.

Creating a persona takes some thought, a bit of time and a little research.

Deciding who to be is a fun and creative process. If you find it difficult to come up with a persona and a back-story, remember – do not take yourself too seriously and relax. The ideas will soon flow.

Here are some steps to assist you in the development of a Steamfunk persona.

via Chronicles of Harriet

wacklikethat:

I have received the great opportunity to intern with the AfroFuturist Affair in Philadelphia. I am in need of support in order to actualize this opportunity.

Short Summary

My Campaign - I have been granted the amazing opportunity to intern with the AfroFuturist Affair this up-coming summer. This grassroots organization utilizes an AfroFuturist framework of liberation as a mechanism for social justice. They aim to promote creative expression, education, and autonomy in partnership with local, underserved communities of color. As the summer intern my general responsibilities will surround but not be limited to communications and networking. As the first intern of the AfroFuturist Affair my position not only alleviates the work load of the Creative Director and Assistant Coordinator, but I will be offering necessary assistance for operating the organization within its fullest capacity.

I am kick-starting this campaign because I am in need of additional funding in order to sustain myself during this summer. While I am the recipient of Hampshire College’s Community Partnerships for Social Change (CPSC) Social Justice Scholars’ Award, the CPSC grant isn’t enough to cover the costs of living and transportation for a full time unpaid internship. Additionally finding a job in an unfamiliar city during the summer is not a guarantee.

About Me: I am a Nigerian and Narragansett (Native American) queer woman at Hampshire College. My concentration pursues an in-depth critical analysis of speculative fiction and media studies from the lenses of race, gender, class, and sexuality within American popular culture. In addition to my academic pursuits, community engagement activities have played an integral part in advancing my studies and interests. By way of volunteering, and internships have I been able to observe and participate in translating theory into practice.

I believe interning for the AfroFuturist Affair will greatly enrich and inform my senior thesis upon returning to Hampshire for the fall. It would be a shame if I couldn’t access this amazing opportunity due to financial circumstances.

Please consider contributing, and spreading the word. Anything helps!

We are incredibly pleased to announce that we will have our very first intern volunteering with us this summer! Kourtnie Aileru, pursuing a concentration in media studies and speculative fiction at Hampshire College, will be joining us in Philly by way of Rhode Island to assist us in managing media, administering the Futurist Fund Community Grant, and coordinating events. Kourtnie is running an Indiegogo campaign to help fund her living and medical expenses associated with her disability for the summer, as she gives her time freely to our community organization. Please help Kourtnie come to Philly to help us strengthen our organization!

Sun Ra was as much philosopher as he was experimental Free Jazz composer, and his principles about race, basically the precedent to Afrofuturism, inspired countless artists and musicians. A new book called Space, Interiors and Exteriors, 1972 traces Ra’s influence on painter Ayé Aton, who became famous on the South Side of Chicago for painting large and colorful murals in private home. Through a long series of phone calls, Sun Ra provided Aton with thematic guidance that pushed his imagery towards Egyptian and outer space motifs, occasionally making use of black light paint and installed black lights. Until now, these murals were only viewable to the people who were lucky enough to live in these photos, but the book has lovingly compiled photographs taken in the early ’70s. Grab a copy here for a deeper look into this cosmic collaboration.

Read more: http://www.thefader.com/2013/05/10/sun-ra-and-aye-atons-afrofuturistic-murals-unveiled-in-new-book/#ixzz2T19Q2us1

afrofuturistaffair:

For better or for worse, I am often spoken of as the first African-American science fiction writer. But I wear that originary label as uneasily as any writer has worn the label of science fiction itself. Among the ranks of what is often referred to as proto-science fiction, there are a number of black writers. M. P. Shiel, whose Purple Cloud and Lord of the Sea are still read, was a Creole with some African ancestry. Black leader Martin Delany (1812–1885—alas, no relation) wrote his single and highly imaginative novel, still to be found on the shelves of Barnes & Noble today, Blake, or The Huts of America (1857), about an imagined successful slave revolt in Cuba and the American South—which is about as close to an sf-style alternate history novel as you can get. Other black writers whose work certainly borders on science fiction include Sutton E. Griggs and his novel Imperio Imperium (1899) in which an African-American secret society conspires to found a separate black state by taking over Texas, and Edward Johnson, who, following Bellamy’s example in Looking Backward (1888), wrote Light Ahead for the Negro (1904), telling of a black man transported into a socialist United States in the far future.

(via the-red-planet)

afrofuturistaffair:

The Black Tribbles:  Episode 64 - Sophia Stewart

The Mother of The Matrix and Terminator SOPHIA STEWART chats up the Tribbles with her story of Hollywood thievery, copyright infringements and the biblical inspirations behind her work. Plus, a rousing visit from improv musical troupe LADIES & GENTLEMEN

(via experimentaltimeorder)