As an aesthetic and cultural movement, Afrofuturism began with Mark Derry’s 1993 essay, “Black to the Future.” Derry poses a difficult question: “Can a community whose past has been deliberately rubbed out, and whose energies have subsequently been consumed by the search for legible traces of its history, imagine possible futures?” The clear answer is a resounding, “YES!” Not only can Black folk imagine possible futures, but they can also write, paint, and sculpt them into being. In this special issue we invite contributors to explore what these possible futures look like. How do Afrofuturist artists reimagine a world where Black folks can be/are free? What is the cost of such freedom? 

We invite submissions for a special issue on Afrofuturism and welcome pieces about all types of art—literature (including poetry, short story, novella), music, art, film--in addition to creative work.  We welcome contributors to discuss the history and development of genres and theories of Afrofuturism, considering Afrofuturism as an evolving, multi-disciplinary field of inquiry. Essays and stories should be between no more than 5,000[SC1]  words. Poetry submissions may be up to 5 pages. Illustrations must be sent in separate files as 300dpi scans submitted as .jpg or .pdf format.

Please follow the style sheet of Studies in American Culture specified here: https://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/artsandsci/english/siac/stylesheet...

Please send submission to scrosby1@memphis.edu and klschltz@memphis.edu by July 3, 2024

 [SC1]Checked the website and they want no more than 5000 words.