Voice & Viewpoint Staff
PHOTOS: Courtesy of LaWana Richmond
To coincide with this year’s convention San Diego Comic-Con, The Afrofuturism Lounge (AFL) was back in full effect with a spotlight on regional Afrofuturists. Now in its 7th year, the Lounge brought together diverse creators and supporters of Black comics, cultural speculative art, science, writing, graphic design, and other Afrofuturism-focused endeavors.
The feature “Tim Fielder and Walter Greason: Celebrating the Launch of The Graphic History of Hip Hop”, was screened on Thursday, July 25 at the University Club in downtown San Diego.
Fielder, a visual Afrofuturism artist, and Dr. Greason, a top Afrofuturism historian, broke down how they blended music, history, and art to tell hip hop’s epic story over the last 50 years.
Attendees also viewed live sketches from Marcus Newsome, heard from other talented creators, and watched the semi-finals of the $10K Inclusive Language Art Contest, with proceeds going to support Afrofuturist creatives.
Dr. LaWana Richmond, Futurist, Afrofuturist, Engineer, Producer, Writer, and Artist who founded The Afrofuturist Lounge, had this to say:
“San Diego Comic-Con is making strides in increasing diversity, with more Black faces appearing in its spaces. We look forward to a time when such sightings become the norm rather than the exception. In the meantime, DreamCon has emerged as the premier convention for the Blerd community (Black nerds), celebrating Blerd culture an encouraging everyone to come as they are.”
Richmond noted that, as San Diego Comic-Con navigates its growth and the demand for more inclusive spaces, questions arise about its future. She noted that the question remains, will the world’s largest and most famous comic con find a new home, and how will San Diego continue to be relevant in the Nerdyverse without its flagship event, Nerdy Gras?
“Perhaps,” Richmond continued, “events like Black Comix Day in February at the WorldBeat Center and Afro Con in Southeast San Diego during the Fall will help fill the gap, creating inclusive spaces for African Americans, people across the diaspora, and allies who appreciate Black culture. Only time will tell.”
To learn more about the Afrofurist movement here in San Diego and future AFL events, visit afrofuturismlounge.com.
