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sharePhoto: Black Space, Afatasi the Artist, 2020
Afrofuturism means many things to many people. At its heart is storytelling, often with a throughline of ancestral knowledge transporting us to new, self-determined futures. In recent years, Afrofuturism has transcended fiction and fantasy entertainment. As technology becomes inextricably entangled with human existence, more people are looking to Afrofuturism as a guide to building real-life pathways to better tomorrows. In this film and panel discussion program, we will explore the ways Afrofuturism can be instrumental in shaping the futures of Black communities, with a particular focus on San Francisco’s legendary Fillmore and Western Addition communities. Our film program balances both narrative and documentary storytelling examining the evolution of cities. In our panel discussion, we’ll examine urgent issues confronting Black communities in the 21st century, including gentrification/displacement, homelessness and environmental racism and explore practical ways that Afrofuturist thought can empower Black communities for the benefit of Black people, who remain disproportionately disenfranchised. We’ll also discuss the pivotal role of artists in bridging the gap between Afrofuturism as entertainment and Afrofuturism as a practice and way of life.
Join us at the African American Arts & Culture Complex’s Open Air Gallery, or virtually via the live stream. Make sure to register for the correct ticket type. This event takes place outdoors under a tent with heaters. Masks are required at all times while under the tent.
Throughout the program, we invite you to enjoy drinks and light bites from Boug Cali. Eating and drinking only permitted outside of the event tent.
Curation by Guest Curator Celia C. Peters
Special thanks to the following organizations and departments from the University of San Francisco for their funding support:
The Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good
Jesuit Foundation 6 + YOU Initiative
African American Studies
Office of Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI)
Panelists:
Celia C. Peters (Moderator), Filmmaker, Curator, Educator
Afatasi the Artist, Creative + Director of Black Space
Derick Brown, Sr. Director, USF’s Leo T. McCarthy Center
Niema Jordan, Journalist and Filmmaker
In this program
Black Space
Directed by Afatasi The Artist
San Francisco has a reputation of being a liberal and progressive city, but not for all residents.
Afro Punk Girl
Directed by Annetta Laufer
In a dystopian, post apocalyptic Britain, a young punk discovers true rebellion when she meets a radical old dandy.
A Galaxy Sits in The Cracks
Directed by Amber Love
A short documentary in 6 parts, “A Galaxy Sits in the Cracks” engages with the ways Black communities in Chicago, Detroit, and Durham use Afrofuturism as a tool to inspire young people, organize politically and economically, and reimagine the spaces around them.
Pumzi
Directed by Wanuri Kahiu
Set in a post-apocalyptic world in which water scarcity has extinguished life above ground, the short follows one scientist’s quest to investigate the possibility of germinating seeds beyond the confines of her repressive subterranean Nairobi community.
Sponsored by
