Futurismnow

Grace Perry Dr. June Ellis EN376*01D 30 October 2023  Afrofuturism and The McCoy Game The article highlighting the Smithsonian's recent exhibition on Afrofuturism highlights the ways in which the topics of hope and courage have been discussed within our class. Mainly, there is an idea of rectifying the past but curating a future that succeeds on the histories that have been otherwise left behind. Many of the artifacts encapsulate the pain and sacrifices required of such visionary progress but, in turn, serve as a reminder to keep pushing forward.  This notion of an unmentioned, forgotten past hold prominently in B.B. Alston's short story, The McCoy Game . The story opens by alluding to turmoil that has been brewing between Dre and Jamal, as well as their parents. There is an inherent mistrust towards family that underlines a lot of the familial relationships and no indication that there will be a positive progression for change. Once Dre and Jamal enter into the house, however...

  AfroFuturism is depicted in “The McCoy Game” through the fabulist elements centered around two characters, cousins Dre and Jamal. It combines elements of the present world with aspects of the future through technology. The use of jetpacks, a key-droid, and the mention of a spaceship are seen as common to the keydroid as it guides the boys through the obstacles yet remain novel to the two boys throughout the entire story.  Integrating the future with the present is also a way in which Alston presents Uncle Ray, a figure of the past is presented in a way which a figure of the past becomes ahead of the future. Knowing more than his nephews on what is possible and hiding his machines from both of them. AfroFuturism integrates also itself into this short story by mentioning the history which was shared with the boys: “Humanity was born in Africa, and Grandad said those caretakers stopped by early on to teach us up on their ships to see the galaxy” (Alston 45). Before bringing the...

When reading the two pieces for today, what stood out to me most was the centrality of hope and joy to the literary movement of Afrofuturism. In many science fiction or speculative fiction novels, the world of the future or the world of technology reveals the consequences of humanity’s actions in a mostly negative, threatening way. This writing often works as a warning—if we don’t change course, this may be in store for us. I know this to be true for several monumental works in science and speculative fiction such as  The Handmaid’s Tale  and  The Parable of the Sower . Even more current novels (especially concerning climate change) explore the horrors that our action (or inaction, rather) that might arise. In these pieces, however, the future is not something we fear or form which we flee. Instead, the authors in the Afrofuturism movement seek to redefine the futures we’ve imagined by reclaiming the past—specifically with race and past injustices in mind.  I find it...

  The concept of traveling with niche coordinates only a select few can understand parallels “A Map to the Next World.” The idea of life after death and never truly dying; the person lives on as long as their memory is alive. There being a family secret parallels Na Viro. The impossible becoming possible; the concept of people thinking that someone's heritage is myth (p.40). The idea that you must take action rather than being a viewer. Jamal and Andre being foils of the importance of knowing vs money (capitalism); the spoken poem about sisterhood. The jetbacks being compared to swimming on air parallels Na Viro’s wave finding the ocean is similar to navigating space. Additionally, Jamal being more interested in space and him bringing -encouraging- Andre to explore space parallels Na Viro when the sisters guided each other through understanding and returning to parts of their dual heritage. Furthermore, saving family despite the differences and fear parallels Tia saving her sister ...

 Ruth Owusu  Dr. Ellis   Postcolonial Literature  Afrofuturism + The McCoy Game Reflection      This life is a game and everything that we are facing and that is happening to us is here for us as humans to realize that we need one another and each other's expertise. We shouldn't compete or fight! In order to beat the "breathworms" and different codes that life throws at us, we need to work together. Even in bitterness, anger, and all negative emotions, this was the ultimate game that Big Mac wanted his grandkids to realize. As Big Mac said in the end "Kept this old man young. As long as you two stick together, my memory will live on through you and I'll never be truly gone" (Alston, 55). This understanding is why Afrofuturism is so important. The future that Black people are creating is an outlet that Black people have taped into to really shape and progress toward a future that is freedom and liberation from the oppressions of this world. There h...

 Fisk Fisk Dr Ellis EN376 30 Oct 2023 "The McCoy Games" Reflection      One thing I found really interesting in "The McCoy Games" by B B Alston was the emphasis on oral histories.     In the start of the story and throughout any exposition, everyone except the two grandkids thinks that pretty much everything Big Mac had ever said and done was all one big prank. Since everyone else in the family underestimates the importance of everything that Big Mac passes down and thinks it's all one big joke (including the grandkids who thought his stories were just fairytales rather than actual reflections of reality), thye do not get the chance to be part of the inheritance of the space ship and the mansion.     The instance with the breathworm also outlines the importance of oral history. Had Jamal not been paying attention to. the stories Big Mac told him and remembered how to calm a breathworm, he and Dre would have been eaten.     The sente...

  Elizabeth Thompson Dr. Ellis EN 376 30 October 2023 Ancestral Knowledge and Space             B. B. Alston’s “The McCoy Game” looks at Afrofuturism on the ancestral and familial levels as Dre and Jamal are forced to work together using Big Mac’s wisdom to find the key to their inheritance.             In her article on an Afrofuturism exhibit in the Smithsonian, Shantay Robinson explores the historical inspirations for Afrofutures such as the Dogon tribe in West Africa’s advanced knowledge of astronomy and a Sankofa figure of a bird with its neck turned backward representing the concept of looking back at the past as one moves forward into the future. Alston uses these concepts in their story when Jamal recalls the stories Big Mac told him of space saying, “Big Mac had this theory that there are these really cool caretakers that look out for all life in the univ...

  Tyra Alexander 30 October 2023 EN*376 Dr. Ellis Article on AfroFuturism/ The McCoy Game After reading the article on Afrofuturism, I initially became very eager to visit the Exhibit at the African American History Museum. Next, What stuck out to me the most was Trayvon Martin’s flight suit. I first became very emotional seeing the suit given that his life was taken so soon and my heart ached wondering what his future could have been and how an amazing aviator he would’ve been. But that just reminded me what Afrofuturism is. Afrofuturism does exquisitely highlight a black utopia like in Black Panther or The Wiz . However, Afrofuturism does show this pain. For example, Black Panther does display how successful an African civilization could be. However, an important conflict in the film is the outside parties trying to colonize the country of Wakanda and inherit a tool that is indigenous to the land. With The Wiz, themes of modern day slavery arise with Evillene and her ...

The Good in Secrets.      Alston begins this narrative by establishing that the narrator's grandfather, Big Mac, was an, "...old dude [who] loved his secrets," and in a way preserved the past in upholding this value (Alston 38). This idea is manifested throughout the entirety of this passage with the interactions between the narrator, Jamal, and his cousin, Dre. To keep a secret is to withhold information from others, only letting those who you trust in on the details. Secrets can be precious, lethal in their power if their truth is exposed. They can be used as agents of manipulation to obtain power, be the tip-off of someone's downfall, or they can be used as a way to keep people united under the obligation of sworn confidentiality and a shared understanding of respect. In Alston's The McCoy Game , the latter idea comes to fruition. Big Mac's secrets about his assets ultimately brought Jamal and Dre back to each other, restoring their relationship through for...

Grace Perry Dr. June Ellis EN376*01 Postcolonial Futurism 23 October 2023  The Implications of Loyalty (Again, this is mostly about the end, my deepest condolences)  Overall, this narrative implemented elements that are unique and captivating. There was a level of comfort behind it's development that reminded me of the period of time in which I read The Hunger Games  series, forwards and backwards and forwards again. I was, undeniably, engrossed with every page and it brought to light, for me, an unexplored region of science fiction and how a reliance on an author's life experience can create a dynamic, utopian world. That being said, this novel deals with the feelings of loyalty and fear to an extreme degree and I struggled with coming to terms with how they intersected one another.  The area I wish was given more development, is the relationship that builds between Inan and Zelie. From the start, I had an inkling they would be thrust together, and originally, I was...

Eva Walters EN*376*01 Dr. Ellis  23 October 2023  Adeyemi ⅔ Reflection In the second third of Adyemi’s “Children of Blood and Bone”, the themes of violence are significantly present throughout the different chapters and the storyline. One way in which this is present is through Iman and Amari’s resistance against their father’s influence of violence through his teachings. The main way in which this is shown is through Amari’s internal conflict after she kills one of the captains. Her actions launched her desire to stray away from her father’s legacy and to not resort to violence in his footsteps. She feels as if her actions drew her too close to her father. I found Amari’s perception of this to be really interesting within this section of the book and I am interested to see how it continues throughout Amari’s character development.

  Katharine Burris   EN 376 Reflection   Aft e r reading both the article “What is Afrofuturism?” and “The McCoy Game,” I found it interesting how Afrofuturism and Black joy are used in children literature to develop a more positive influence on their self-love and representation. In science fiction and children’s literature, Black futures are rarely depicted, and therefore, by bringing these stories to the forefront, it inspires positivity of Black boys and young men.   The characters within “The McCoy Game” fit the theme of Afrofuturism described in the article as they are characterized as happy and creative. By the end of the story, Jamal and Dre realize their own capabilities for success and develop a greater sense of confidence. Characters suc h as Jamal and Dre serve as positive role models for Black children and can help break the stereotypes that people typically associate them with. Creating this new genre of literature provides a safe space where Black c...

 Lucy Marous Inan’s struggle with the concept of magic in this section was really interesting to me. Seeing how his beliefs change over the course of the novels and the catalysts that cause them, it is fascinating how seeing magic does not have as much power as experiencing it what it does to others has on him. In the first part of this section of the novel Inan walks through the temple and sees visions of small children, Zelie, and Amari. Even though magic is right before his eyes, it is not until he sees the painting of Ori that it has an emotional impact on him. When he first walks through the temple he reminds himself “They’re not real” (208) and continually tries to ignore the physical sensations he is feeling as the result of his own magic. Once he sees the mural for the first time, his disposition is entirely changed. Inan is described as “in awe” and even says the painting “unravels everything I’ve been taught to think” (210). Seeing a representation of magic itself is proo...

 Lucy Marous (I know this is very late, so if you cannot accept it, I understand)   The aspect of the poems that stood out to me the most is the hope that they provide to the reader. While a lot of the works we have read so far have presented a future of warning that comments on how we treat the world today, these three works are a version of the future that comes from the reader’s sense of self and have a more positive tone.      The Harjo poem, “A Map to the Next World” creates hope by giving the reader the power to change their own world. She ends the poem with this reassurance: “Yet, the journey we make together is perfect on this earth who was once a star and made the same mistakes as humans./ We might make them again, she said./ Crucial to finding the way is this: there is no beginning or end./ You must make your own map.” We are often taught to fear the future because it is unknown, but Harjo makes the point that it is unknown because we get to create wha...

  Elizabeth Thompson Dr. Ellis EN 376 23 October 2023 Zélie and Inan’s Relationships with Fear             Zélie and Inan have both been victims of abuse and shame from the king, directly and indirectly, yet they are enemies for the majority of the book. Their different experiences and internalizations of pain depict how abuse can be cyclical.             The trauma of her mother’s death has a profound impact on Zélie’s psychology. While her mother’s memory is a source of strength, it also reminds Zélie of her vulnerability. After arguing with Inan, she thinks, “It doesn’t matter how strong I get…They (non-maji) will always hate me in this world” (312). Because of her mother’s death, Zélie carries vengeful anger, a sense of duty as the daughter of a powerful reaper, and ultimately fear that those things will not be able to stand against the regime that killed the ...

In this second part of the reading, several things caught my attention. Adeyemi explores several difficult themes in her work, such as trauma, oppression, and violence. She structures a world in which one part of the population suffers because of their god(s)-given gifts. I find it interesting how this becomes more complicated with Inan’s realization and growing powers. Although it might not indicate anything, I wonder what the magic of the divîners might symbolize. After doing a little cursory research, Adeyemi seems to have been inspired by her views on police brutality and the lack of Black fantasy/Black heroes in novels and pop culture in general. I think there’s a lot to explore with the complicated dynamics of the different peoples of the world and the use of magic, but I think that might be best served for the end of the novel. In addition to the complication of Inan’s power (and his acceptance of it), I find it interesting how Adeyemi utilizes language. I know I’ve mentioned it...

  Joshua Singh Dr. Ellis EN 376 Second Adeyemi Reflection One of the benefits the novel’s structure serves is that each chapter follows the perspective of a singular character. This can also highlight the parallels between different characters' realizations of what is happening around them as well as how this realization compares to what they have been taught growing up. More specifically, Amari and Inan’s internal conflictedness stands at odds with their father’s teaching, and their maturation is seen through how they define themselves against him. For example, Amari does not want to emulate her father’s violence and cruelty, nor does she want to continue in the path of violence and destruction that he has shown her since the beginning of his reign. After she kills one of the captains, the spectators of Orisha applaud them and call Amari “Lionare.” Rather than feeling honored by this, Amari rebukes any of the glorification that would usually accompany being cheered on with a t...

 Fisk Candau Dr Ellis EN376 23 Oct 2023     Something I found really interesting in the second third of Children of Blood and Bone  was the discussion on the internalisation of oppressive narratives. Maybe it's just because I just read Othello so that topic was already fresh in my mind, but it really struck me how both Inan and Zélie have internalised the maji hatred spewed by the monarchy and turned that into self-hatred.      This self-hatred is most visible in Inan, since his entire goal is to destroy magic and kill all the maji even though he himself is a maji. Inan throughout the book has been completely cutting himself off from his magic to his own detriment, all because he hates that part of himself. Zélie frequently comments about how weak he is and how sickly he looks because of it and is constantly telling him to let his powers loose and to accept that part of himself, but he refuses. His refusal is directly tied to the internalisation of the...

 Ruth Owusu  Dr. Ellis   Postcolonial Literature  Inan: New Mission, Old Me, or vice versa?      Even in the second third of Adeyemi's book Children of Blood and Bone , the characters of Zélie and Inan are still attractive to me, and further development of their character is seen at play.     From the beginning, Inan's mission had been to kill Zélie, and kill magic, and he believed this truth at his core that killing Zélie would inherently kill magic and therefore protect Orisha. Once Inan had finally caught up with Zélie in the forests, this would soon all change. In ten chapters: Chapters 39-48, Adeyemi writes out extensive details and conversations between Zélie and Inan, and the outcome of this mission. In Inan finally allowing himself to use his magic, as a Connector, he began to see her story play out, that her hatred and anger was towards the Orisha soldiers, not her anger on whatever his father was describing about majis. Inan wa...

  The second third of Children of Blood and Bone includes a wakeup call to the inequalities that the upper class has perpetuated. The oppression of the maji serves as the key point within the novel , especially within Inan’s transformation . Something I found interesting after reading the second half was how the portrayal of magic and the maji changed from the first third to the second third. In the first third, the maji and their ancestors, such as Zelie, are called “maggots” and are continuously beaten down and degraded by the king’s regime. The maji face blatant inequality and discrimination, both social ly and economic ally . They are  kept to the edges of society and subjected to cruel treatment . However, I noticed a change in the portrayal of the maji from Inan in the second half. While searching for Zelie and Amari, he begins to realize that magic is something so much more powerful than anything he could have imagined, and the king works to degrade such magic...