Afrofuturism: Hear how Black history influences popular culture at Florida Tech's read-in

Finch Walker, Florida Today
·2 min read

In one of the largest annual celebrations of Black literature on the Space Coast, the Florida Tech community on Friday will dive into how African American history has influenced popular culture.

The 9th Annual African American Read-In, a free community event sponsored by Evans Library and Florida Tech's School of Arts and Communication, will kick off at 6:30 p.m and continue until 8:30 p.m. at Evans Library in Melbourne.

The annual African American Read-in at Florida Tech has become one of the largest celebrations of Black history on the Space Coast. This year's event will be on Friday, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m.
The annual African American Read-in at Florida Tech has become one of the largest celebrations of Black history on the Space Coast. This year's event will be on Friday, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

This year's theme is "Afrofuturism," which the National Museum of African American History and Culture defines as expressions of "Black identity, agency and freedom through art, creative works and activism that envision liberated futures for Black life."

Afrofuturism can be seen in popular culture today, said Rolanda Hatcher-Gallop, a communication instructor at Florida Tech and one of the organizers of the event.

"Anyone who watched the Super Bowl halftime show saw the singer Usher wearing clothing that could be worn in the fictional, tech-rich Kingdom of Wakanda," she said.

"Some of his outfits were Afrofuturistic, in that sense."

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Clarissa West-White, a university archivist and assistant professor at Bethune Cookmane University in Daytona Beach, will be the keynote speaker of the night, and local chef and author Emunah Y'israel will offer New Orleans-style food for guests to enjoy.

Guests are invited to come in African attire, "coffee house chic," or in cosplay from a favorite fantasy, sci-fi or comic book.

Nancy Garmer, interim dean of libraries at Florida Tech and program coordinator for the school's Cultural Competency Certificate, said the event will be an opportunity for the community to learn more about "a movement that has gained momentum in recent years but has deep roots in the past."

"We want the audience leaving the read-in understanding what Afrofuturism is and its influence on everything from music to clothing," she said.

Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. X: @_finchwalker.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Annual read-in at Florida Tech Friday to explore Afrofuturism