Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture by Ytasha L. Womack

the one hundred works showcased in the exhibit depicted relationships between humanity, the sun, moon, stars, and celestial phenomena. More than religious symbols or decorative art, these works were complex webs of philosophy and science that gave new meaning to life.
    Traditionally, African cultures don’t separate science and art in the Western perspective of the divide. Dr. Malidoma Patrice Somé was boggled by the difference. “In Western reality, there is a clear split between the spiritual and the material, between religious life and secular life. This concept is alien to the Dagara,” writes Somé. 7 Cultural astronomy, according to Kreamer, is the study of “lay experts and nonexperts who relate in the broadest sense to the sky,” and it gives a language to the non-Western ideals of bridging science, art, and wisdom. Although cultural astronomers focus heavily on native cultures in North and South America, Africa, says Kreamer, is ripe for rigorous study.
    â€œIn contrast to the Western inclination to separate bodies of knowledge into distinctive fields, African systems are often more expansive and inclusive, bringing together philosophical, religious and scientific concepts into a more holistic approach toward comprehending reality,” Kreamer writes in her book
African Cosmos
, a companion piece to the exhibit. Kreamer, among others, argues that the failure to view African art and science from an African perspective creates a gaping hole in the global knowledge base.
    When I called Kreamer to interview her for this book, she initially didn’t quite understand how her show fit into a conversation about Afrofuturism. I shared that many Afrofuturistsincorporate African mythology and spirituality in their work. The
African Cosmos
exhibit is a reminder that there is a legacy of weaving art, philosophy, and the realms of the sky from a black and African perspective that predates the term Afrofuturism and any newfound curiosity. A life inspired by science fiction resides in the myths and art of the ages.
    â€œAfrofuturism has always been a part of our culture,” award-winning filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu said at TEDx Nairobi. Kahiu said that many African myths and folktales are laced with spiritualism and science fiction. “It’s always been a part of us,” she said.
    This connection to an African and African-diasporic perspective and other ancient wisdom is one that Afrofuturists seek.
A Cultural Astronomer
    Dr. Jarita Holbrook dedicates her life to uncovering the history of African stargazing. “My work as a researcher fills in the blanks. When you say African astronomy, there are only two [cultures] that come to mind, the Egyptians and the Dogon. The point was to give a voice to everyone else,” she says.
    In fact, the spark for the study of cultural astronomy in sub-Saharan African is credited to the study of the Great Zimbabwean ruins in the nineteenth century that were found to align with celestial bodies. The Igbo, Bamana, Sandawe, Yoruba, Fante, and many others have rich astronomy cultures as well, and anthropologists and others are dedicated to their unearthing and documentation.
    Holbrook studied a host of African cultures and their traditional relationships to the sky, and she is a big advocate forrecognizing black astrophysicists. When asked how her curiosity in African cultural astronomy was piqued, she gives a one-word answer: “Racism.” Trained in astrophysics, Holbrook grew annoyed with the stares and odd questions she received as she studied for her PhD. “There’s a weird hazing. [People] act as if you don’t belong,” says Holbrook, who is also researching the trajectory of black women with PhDs in astrophysics and documenting the writing scripts in Africa with Kreamer. “But there is a history of black people looking at the sky.”
    In fact, at the time of our interview, she was crowd-sourcing funds to shoot the