National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington DC, near the Washington Monument. (Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
What do you get when Black identity meets science fiction, history, art and pop culture in one Smithsonian exhibit?
If the Smithsonian in question is the National Museum of African American History and Culture, then the result is "Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures."
The exhibit, which opened Friday, uses hundreds of pop-culture objects "from music, film, television, comic books, fashion, theater, literature and more" to demonstrate the concept of Afrofuturism, and share the cultural movement with visitors.
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"Afrofuturism is the way that African Americans have engaged the past and the present to think about the future," NMAAHC Director Kevin Young says in a video about the exhibit.
It was originally a term used "in scholarly circles to explore how Black writers and artists have utilized themes of technology, science fiction, fantasy and heroism to envision stories and futures of Black liberation," and show the Black experience in an empowered, genuine way, according to the exhibit's website.
But since then, the term has expanded to describe a broader cultural movement and aesthetic.
It's an idea you might already be familiar with if you've watched "Black Panther," read books by Octavia Butler, or listened to musicians like Sun Raw or Parliament Funkadelic.
In fact, the influence of Afrofuturism on "Black Panther," and the movie series' huge popularity, was part of the inspiration behind the exhibit.
"We are in a moment where we can see examples of Afrofuturism’s influence and impact on our culture," Young said. "The term has entered our lexicon from the popularity of films like “Black Panther,” yet it has historically been a significant driver of African American culture and expression."
Exhibit objects include the Black Panther suit from the Marvel movie, Lieutenant Uhura's Star Fleet uniform from the original series of "Star Trek," costumes from "The Wiz," and more.
The exhibit goes beyond current examples to more deeply explore how Black culture has always had to create its own future.
"What I love about this show is it doesn't just talk about the present or science fiction, it goes beyond that," Young said. "It thinks about the ways that the enslaved imagined new worlds."
"If you can't imagine a new world, you can't imagine a better one," Young said in the video. "And Afrofuturism is very much thinking about that."
The exhibit will run for one year, from March 23, 2023 to March 23, 2024, and lives on the concourse level of the museum in the Bank of America Special Exhibitions Gallery.
There's also a book, also named "Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures" that serves as a companion to the exhibit.
Click here to reserve passes, learn more by clicking here, or watch the NMAAHC's video about the exhibit in the video player below.
