Document Type

Article

Publication Title

The Georgetown Law Journal

Volume

112

Publication Date

2024

Keywords

See, e.g., sources cited infra note 185. 2. See infra note 183 and accompanying text. 3. 4, Afrofuturism, race, Constitution, Supreme Court, Reconstruction, technology

Abstract

Afrofuturism seems to be everywhere these days. In music, film, dance, literature. And in this special symposium issue of the Georgetown Law Journal, “Afrofuturism and the Law.” This prompts a foundational question. What is “Afrofuturism and the Law”? More specifically, as a practice, as a discipline, and a legal movement, what should Afrofuturism and the Law be. Indeed, given Afrofuturism’s seeming staying power, and its incursion into law, is it time for a manifesto to set parameters? Hence, this proposed manifesto. To be sure, I am troubled by the word manifesto, especially given its connection to the word manifest, which conjures the journey of my ancestors, captured and sold into slavery, becoming cargo, part of a ship’s manifest. But perhaps I can use the latter term to think of the inventory or cargo for another journey. A journey into the future. Perhaps on Parliament Funkadelic’s Mothership. Or Octavia Butler’s Earthseed ship. Or Sun Ra’s jazz spaceship. And maybe that’s the connection between manifest and manifesto. It’s not just the things we should carry. It’s also the things we should hold true. So, a manifesto then.

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