The Afrofuturist Critical Lens

The art movement Afrofuturism is explored through a critical analysis of a newly constructed “Afrofuturist Critical Lens” that I develop and apply to two works of literature. The critical analysis defines the Afrofuturist lens and investigates the theoretical imbrications and divergences between it and the black feminist critical lens, described by Barbara Smith, and the post-colonial critical lens, as defined by Edward Said. Toni Morrison’s Sula, a non-Afrofuturist text, is analyzed from both black feminist and Afrofuturist perspectives. The BINTI trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor, a classical example of Afrofuturist literature, is then examined through both a post-colonial and an Afrofuturist perspective. This analysis showcases the overlap the Afrofuturist lens has with both of these established lenses in order to base the analysis in the familiar while simultaneously highlighting the niche and necessity of an Afrofuturist reading of a text. Both a classical Afrofuturist book series and a non-classical Afrofuturist novel were selected for analysis to showcase the versatility and potential of the Afrofuturist perspective. Afrofuturism is present throughout so much of literature, sometimes in subtle ways, and it is imperative we explore and discover these Afrofuturist themes and details with the hope of unearthing new perspectives of books in the future.