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Afrofuturism: Race, Erasure, and COVID. - Document - Gale Academic OneFile
Source: go-gale-com.proxy.lib.uwaterloo.ca
Article summary:
1. Afrofuturism is a movement that imagines Black people existing and shaping the future, countering Black erasure.
2. The COVID-19 pandemic has made Black erasure more visible, with BIPOC being disproportionately affected by the virus and facing medical disposability.
3. Practitioners of Afrofuturism use critical engagement with the past to chart paths towards a more humane future, questioning established realities and logics shaped by colonial regimes and systemic racism.
Article analysis:
The article "Afrofuturism: Race, Erasure, and COVID" explores the concept of Afrofuturism as a means of countering Black erasure in American society. The authors begin by discussing Alisha B. Wormsley's art installation "There Are Black People in the Future," which was removed from display due to controversy but has since grown into a larger collection that continues to inspire critical and popular attention. The authors argue that imagining blackness in the future is a radical act that contests the deep nihilism that penetrates American society and risks colonizing the minds of Black people. They suggest that Afrofuturism offers pedagogies that make visible the possibilities and potentialities of Black culture.
The authors then discuss how America's longstanding practice of Black erasure has resulted in a present-day reckoning, exhibited by movements such as Black Lives Matter and the 1619 Project. They argue that America's refusal to claim its Black citizens and acknowledge their histories, experiences, and humanity illustrates how the past continues to haunt the present. The authors suggest that practitioners of Afrofuturism understand that critical engagement with the past is important to charting new paths toward a more humane future.
While the article provides an interesting exploration of Afrofuturism as a means of countering Black erasure, it does have some potential biases. For example, it focuses primarily on America's history of racism and subjugation without exploring similar issues in other countries or cultures. Additionally, while it acknowledges instances of medical abuse against Black people throughout history, it does not provide evidence for its claim that "blackness remains disposable" in both national and global imaginations.
Overall, however, the article provides valuable insights into how Afrofuturism can be used as a means of countering Black erasure and promoting positive change. It highlights important issues related to race, erasure, and COVID, and encourages readers to consider how Afrofuturism can be used as a tool for imagining a more inclusive and intersectional future.