By Dr. LaWana Richmond
This September, Dakar, Senegal became the epicenter of visionary dialogue and cultural exchange as the Future Waves Conference 2025 unfolded from September 11–17. Hosted across the historic Cheikh Anta Diop University, the Artiste Du Daanu Dakar cultural center, and the contemporary Axil Hotel, the week-long gathering blended in-person and virtual programming that brought together an extraordinary constellation of voices from around the world.
Participants included scholars, artists, and thought leaders from Canada, the United States, Germany, Scotland, Colombia, the Netherlands, Botswana, Spain, and Senegal, with additional guests joining virtually. Together, they explored how creativity, technology, and heritage can co-exist in shaping global futures.
The conference opened virtually on September 10 with remarks from Dr. Walter Greason of The Graphic History Company (USA), who delivered a provocative talk, “Fortune, Fanon, and Illmatic Consequences Across Time.”
On September 11, Cheikh Anta Diop University hosted a book talk moderated by Dr. Barrel Sow Gueye, featuring Dr. Tiffany Barber (UCLA) on Undesirability and Her Sisters: Black Women’s Visual Work and the Ethics of Representation; Sheree Renée Thomas, editor of Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine, on Mojorhythm, Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction; and Gerald Vreden (Netherlands) on His Story of the World and Rise of the Mafu. A great addition to this first evening is live performance by PINO, a young hip hop artist from Senegal who performed mostly in English despite not yet being fluent.
The following day, September 12, the conference shifted to the Artiste Du Daanu Dakar cultural arts center, where producer and composer Stephen Ibaaku Bassene welcomed participants with a libation ceremony. Dr. Reynaldo Anderson, executive director of the Black Speculative Arts Movement (USA), delivered a keynote on “Afrofuturism 2.0 and World Order: Techno-Authoritarianism and the Dark Enlightenment.” Panels that followed included “Africana Futures: The Next Generation,” chaired by Asha Salim (Temple University), and “AI, Forecasting, and Us (Ancestral Intelligence),” featuring Dr. Philip Butler (Iliff School of Theology), Yul Anderson (African American Future Society), and Masamba Thioye (Senegal).
September 13 sessions convened at the Axil Hotel, with a libation done by
Majesty Bakou Mory Thiané Mbaye , Grand Lamane of the Lébou community of the Cape Verde Peninsula in Dakar, Senegal, is a prominent figure within the Lébou people and panels continuing throughout the day with a screening of a short film by Marcela Angulo, screenwriter, director, and producer (Columbia), and culminating in a Futurist Party back at Artiste Du Daanu Dakar, hosted by Bassene alongside Dacia Polk, Kem-Ya, Esie Mensa, and guests. Presenters on that day also included Dr. Lonnie Avi Brooks, Cal State East Bay (USA), Dr. Natasha Kelly, Quentin Vercetty, Dr. Kimani Nehusi, Temple University (USA), Christina Hudson, San Diego native, PhD Candidate, Temple University (USA), Dr. Takeshita Morisato, University of Edinburgh (UK), Dr. Matthew Pettway, University of South Alabama (USA); PhD candidates from University of Edinburgh- Darius Cret, Tony Baugh, and Thomas Baruzzi, Sheree Renée Thomas (USA), Moustapha Mbacké Dion (Senegal), Gerald Vreden (USA), Dr. Sará King, Mind Heart (USA), Kiersten Gray, Mind Heart (USA), Dr. Pierce Othlogile-Gordon (USA/Botswana) and many more.
One standout moment for San Diego came on September 11 at Artiste Du Daanu Dakar, where Dr. LaWana Richmond, executive director of Grioneers, joined the panel on Afrofuturist storytelling and worldbuilding. Richmond highlighted the transformative role of narrative in reimagining equitable futures:
“Afrofuturism gives us a framework to dream boldly and build responsibly,” Richmond said. “By weaving together ancestral intelligence, creativity, and innovation, we can co-create futures where Black imagination is central to shaping a more equitable world.”
The conference was not only a meeting of minds but also a celebration of performance, creativity, and community. Programs included lectures, workshops, performances, and collaborative sessions that embodied Dakar’s reputation as a hub of innovation and cultural brilliance.
Organizers emphasized the significance of this year’s theme, which sought to bridge the wisdom of the past with the technologies of tomorrow. “By connecting ancestral intelligence with contemporary innovation, we are charting pathways to futures that honor both tradition and transformation,” one conference leader explained.
A Global Gathering Rooted in Black Futures
More than an academic or artistic exchange, Future Waves is a multi-disciplinary festival celebrating Black creativity and speculative vision on a global scale. Formally titled FUTURE WAVES: Afrofuturism 2.0 and The World, the conference engaged participants from Senegal, Colombia, Germany, Canada, Brazil, the U.S., Switzerland, and Botswana, weaving together scholarship, art, music, commerce, and technology.
The program also encouraged participants to explore Dakar’s cultural landmarks, from the Museum of Black Civilization to the towering African Renaissance Monument.
As the week concluded, one thing was clear: the waves of thought, artistry, and vision that began in Dakar will ripple far beyond Senegal’s borders, shaping conversations and collaborations for years to come.
