Events

    Afrofuturism for Black History Month

    by Meredith Bratland
    written by Meredith Bratland

    Culture aficionados rejoice – today, we’re talking Afrofuturism as part of our look at Black Futures for Black History Month.

    Afrofuturism is special as it reimagines the future but it also reflects on the past of the African diaspora. Afrofuturism, a term coined by Mark Dery in 1993 in his interview article “Black to the Future“, has evolved over time in African American culture and describes creative works that focus on African diaspora with a focus on science, technology, design, gender, philosophy and shaping a new future. Afrofuturism often critiques the colonial power structure and imagines an Afrocentric worldview.

    Afrofuturism is complex with many different perspectives and creative paths. Please join me on a historical timeline of art over the past century of Afrofuturism, obviously not even coming close to covering it all, featuring artists that give me a lot of inspiration and hope. My wish is that this list gives you a solid start in your own discovery within your artistic tastes.

    I’ve created an Afrofuturism list using the library’s Online Reading List with enduring links within our collection and some of my favourites found on the interwebs (with some extras not found in this blog post).

    Afrofuturism Online Reading List
    Author Zora Neale Hurston, creative commons image.

    Early Afrofuturism

    Zora Neale Hurston has been mentioned as the “mother” of Afrofuturism. Her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is often referenced as a feminist text as well as afrofuturist. Hurston is full of wisdom, applicable to present day.

    There are years that ask questions and years that answer.

    Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God

    There is even a Zora Neale Hurston Arts and Humanities Festival, where a whole section of academics discuss Afrofuturism.

    The rise of Afrofuturism

    Afrofuturism flourished during the Black Arts Movement in the 1960s and into the late 1990s, especially in music, literature and film. Here are some of my favourites that I recommend checking out.

    • Octavia Butler, author
    • Grace Jones, artist
    • Sun Ra, musician
    • Parliament, musician
    • Missy Elliott, musician
    • Erykah Badu, musician
    • Kerry James Marshall, artist
    • Renee Cox, artist

    Present Day Afrofuturism

    We’re seeing a lot of exciting Afrofuturist work over the past 10 years to present-day building upon its ancestors in a wide-variety of creative endeavours.

    Author N.K. Jemisin, creative commons image.
    • N.K. Jemisin, author
    • Tomi Adeyemi, author
    • Gerald Machona, artist
    • Juliana Huxtable, artist
    • Nikki Giovanni, poet
    • Janelle Monae, artist
    • Flying Lotus, musician
    • Anderson Paak, musician

    All I have left to say is Afrofuturism 4 Eva and “Live Long and Prosper” (link to Gerald Machona’s very cool artistic work).

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  • Dogs in the Library (The Virtual Edition)

    by Guest Author
    by Guest Author

    Breaking news! Our canine pals at CAAWLS have entered the digital realm and we are hosting a special virtual Dogs in the Library session. Join us on October 29 between 12:00-2:00pm MST to visit with the pups and their humans in CAAWLS’ zoom meeting room. Come take a quick study break, or stay the whole two hours (after all, who can resist those cuties?). The meeting can be accessed at the link…

  • Up your library game with Workshops

    by Guest Author
    by Guest Author

    We get it. Navigating the intricacies of the library isn’t easy. Finding information and making use of the library’s resources is a skill that takes time to develop, but we’re here to help support you on your academic journey. On top of general assistance you can access through chat and email reference, and foundational library skill tutorials that you can access online at your leisure, the Library offers workshops throughout the school…

  • Two Ways to Study a Mysterious Manuscript: new workshop at BPSC

    by Hanne Pearce
    by Hanne Pearce

    It is amazing to imagine, but even in the 21st century, there is a book written in a language and script that scholars cannot understand. The Voynitch manuscript is a handwritten illustrated book, dated to the early 1400s. Named for Wilfred Voynitch, a book dealer who acquired the book from Jesuits priests in the early 20th century, the book is now owned by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale. The manuscript…

  • Science Literacy Week 2018 – It’s gonna be a blast!

    by Guest Author
    by Guest Author

    Written by Lydia Thorn From September 17 – 21, the libraries are celebrating Science Literacy Week across the University of Alberta campus. The University of Alberta Libraries has partnered with Science Literacy Week, Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology (WISEST), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to bring a week full of science and space to the UAlberta community. There will be interactive events and presentations throughout the…

  • Fair Dealing Week 2018 Recap

    by Meredith Bratland
    by Meredith Bratland

    On February 28, 2018, the University of Alberta’s Copyright Office hosted a day-long event in celebration of Fair Dealing Week, an initiative by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). More background information about the event is available here. The event featured four speakers from various disciplines, who talked about the impact and importance of Fair Dealing as a user right in the Canadian Copyright Act. “Fair Dealing on Trial” Speaker: Lisa Di…

  • Lana Button, Children’s Author and Educator, on the Power of the Picture Book Read-Aloud

    by Erin Sanderman
    by Erin Sanderman

    Please join us in the H.T. Coutts Education and Kinesiology, Sport & Recreation Library on Wednesday, May 9th at 9:30 AM for a presentation by author and early childhood educator Lana Button, showcasing her newest picture book, My Teacher’s Not Here! Lana’s lively presentations show her determination to spread the word that people are never too old for a picture book! In this 50 minute talk, Lana explores the challenge of choosing…

  • Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover is Back

    by Amy Southgate
    by Amy Southgate

    UAlberta Libraries’ 2nd Annual Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover starts Feb 5!  Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover is an annual event that aims to shed light on underrepresented groups. As a twist on regular book displays, books are wrapped in brown paper and teaser keywords are written on the front. This wrapping both symbolizes the marginalization of the featured group and adds a mystery element when selecting a book to…

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