Thursday, April 14, Noon Pacific Time. Please register ahead of time.

We are in a cultural moment where speculative storytelling reigns supreme. In “We Have Always Dreamed of (Afro)Futures,” Dr. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas contextualizes this moment by tracing a line from the present pandemic moment back to a time of a previous pandemic, when The Brownies’ Book first emerged alongside other speculative storytelling. Unfortunately, slavery and its afterlife have overshadowed the Black fantastic storytelling tradition, relegating Black child life to a traumatic collective past. Connecting past Black fantastic flights such as those in the genre-defining The Brownies’ Book to the current Afrofuturistic Renaissance reveals that Black creatives and storytellers for children have always dreamed of (Afro)futures.

This event is open to everyone. It will be held on Thursday, April 14, beginning at noon Pacific Time, but you need to sign up for the event ahead of time.