February 10 & 11, 2019
The 2018/19 theme is Afrofuturism. What happens when African American writers imagine alternate histories, (im)possible futures, other dimensions, species, galaxies, and worlds? What happens when the stories they tell are the stories of Black people—male, female, and other-gendered—who are the heroes, explorers, architects, interpreters of these worlds, and of the future? Students will study speculative works by Black authors in all genres that push the boundaries of the real in order to re-imagine the possible, from folk tales to conjure stories to magic realism to science fiction. This longstanding and robust tradition is centered on critiquing intersecting ideologies of race, gender, class, and sexuality as well as envisioning new opportunities for identity and social justice.
A Sunday Community Dinner Program
was held on Sunday Feb. 10, 2:30-5:00
Patricia Jabbeh Wesley reading her poetry at this event (video by Chase Wade)
Monday Marathon and Afrofuturism Festival
was held 9:00- 5:00, Titleman Study, Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts
Fall 2019 Field Trip with Students to the
National Museum of American American History and Culture:
What is Afrofuturism? This short video is a fun intro!
Suggested Reading List
Video of Highlights from 2019 AARI
by Chase Wade
Keynote Presentation
by Jiba Molei Anderson
Monday Feb. 11, 12:00 noon
Learn about him, his work, and how to order his books here!
To watch a video of his entire presentation, click here!
(Video by Chase Wade)
Featured Author reading
by Zetta Elliott
Monday, Feb. 11, 5:30 p.m.
Learn more about her work and how to order her books here!
To watch a video of her entire presentation, click here!
(video by Chase Wade)
2019 Committee
Student Projects from the 2019 African American Read-In!
2019 Photo Gallery
Special thanks to our Community Supporters:
Blair County NAACP