Afrofuturism is a feature that uses technology, culture, and science to understand the culture of black people. It is expressed in music, art, and films, among other forms of media, to showcase black people’s experiences living in the diaspora. Omotayo (2020) explains that it is a combination of imagination, liberation, and futuristic elements which utilizes advanced technology. Black Panther, as directed by Ryan Coogler, uses a perfect futuristic technique.
Prince T’Challa of Wakanda becomes king when his father passes away. According to the film, Wakanda is the most technologically advanced region in the world. It has also never been colonized, which references the past of African countries under the colonial rule. However, in this case, an imaginative technique is demonstrated because most countries in Africa were colonized. An uncolonized and advanced Africa’s imaginative feature is a futuristic element that opposes the stereotypes that Africa is a continent characterized by poverty, famine, violence, and diseases (Omotayo, 2020). Wakanda has lots of vibranium, which is the hardest substance on earth. Additionally, the vegetative cover of the region is both alien and earthly. The presence of alien material is a futuristic feature in the film.
Afrofuturism combines history, spirituality, and futuristic possibilities. In the film “Black Panther”, T’Challa can visit his late father in an ancestral plane and connect with his kinship and past. His father provides advice and comfort for his son, who is now the ruler. This feature resonates with black people in the diaspora separated from their families in the slave trade. Some have been able to trace their kinship and reconnect with their families, while other are still striving to fulfill this desire.
Reference
Omotayo, O. (2020). Media across the African diaspora: Content, audiences, and global influence (1st ed.). Routledge