Afrocarnival: Celebrating Black Bodies and Critiquing Oppressive Bodies in Afrofuturist Literature

Abstract

Afrofuturism often acts as an experiential portal that guides readers to reflect on the current state of the world, to hypothesize about the trajectory of society, and to challenge any possible future that continues the subjugation of Black people. As a genre that is concerned with the elevation and liberation of Black people, Afrofuturism aligns with Bahktin’s carnivalesque, the area between art and life that provides a temporary space to venerate imaginative freedom. Specifically, while they uplift and celebrate Black bodies, Afrofuturist authors use the carnivalesque concept of grotesque realism to critique dominant bodies that elevate anti-Blackness in society. In this way, Afrofuturists bring abstract concepts of systemic and institutional oppression to the sphere of earth and body by presenting intangible ideas through their characters, conflicts, plots, and settings. Focusing on three Afrofuturist texts written by Black female authors that feature Black adolescent female protagonists, the author highlights how each book portrays the celebratory aspects of Black existence and imagination and critiques oppressive ideologies that have historically attempted to thwart Black celebration and creativity.