Hard Knock Radio Afrofuturism Round Table
2025 Reflections and 2026 Futures
Davey D closed out the year with the show’s annual Afrofuturism round table, bringing together writers, educators, artists, and cultural critics to reflect on what defined Afrofuturism in 2025 and what may shape 2026. The conversation moved fluidly across film, literature, comics, animation, music, artificial intelligence, and cultural ownership, with a clear through line emerging throughout the discussion. Afrofuturism is not just an aesthetic or theory. It is a practice rooted in protection, self determination, and control over Black narratives.
Writer and educator Shawn Taylor opened the conversation by noting that 2025 felt like a turning point where people stopped over explaining Afrofuturism and started actively doing it. He described a growing instinct to protect the culture from dilution and commercialization, something he believes prevented Afrofuturism from being hollowed out the way other cultural movements have been. Taylor pointed to the film Black News Terms and Conditions as one of the year’s most powerful Afrofuturist works, describing it as an experience that left him sitting in awe of Black history, creativity, and endurance. Looking ahead, Taylor shared his anticipation for the next Miles Morales Spider Verse film, arguing animation remains the most authentic space for that character. He also discussed his own upcoming project, Speak and Carry, a solo stage production on grief and mourning supported by a Pop Culture Collaborative grant, underscoring that emotional healing and collective care are also part of imagining Black futures.
Author, poet, radio host, and journalist Jenee Darden centered literature as her primary Afrofuturist anchor in 2025. She highlighted the novel Sky Full of Elephants, describing it as a speculative exploration of what remains when whiteness as an ideology persists even in the absence of white people. Darden connected the book to questions of decolonization, inherited trauma, and long term healing. She also spoke about reading Hawk, a poetry collection by Vivian Ayers, noting Ayers’ visionary imagination and cosmic sensibility. Darden added that Bay Area projects like Co founders stood out for showing how artists are using technology creatively rather than simply talking about it. Looking forward, she expressed excitement about the World Fantasy Convention coming to Oakland and the upcoming Starfleet Academy series, hoping both reflect the region’s creative spirit.
Educator, trainer, and community organizer Constance Rice focused on what she observed at the grassroots level. While she did not point to many long form studio projects, she emphasized the explosion of short form animation and youth driven creativity using AI tools, anime influences, and digital platforms. Rice rejected the idea that screens have diminished imagination, arguing instead that the tools have changed while creativity remains intact. She pointed to a renewed interest in Octavia Butler among younger generations who recognize how closely Butler’s work mirrors the current political and social moment. For Rice, this resurgence signals that young people are actively using speculative thinking to navigate real world crises.
Comics and pop culture analyst Osa Tyehimba brought a deep industry lens to the conversation, explaining that while film studios struggled with direction and backlash, the comic book world continued to move forward. He highlighted expanded representation and stronger storytelling from major publishers alongside a growing ecosystem of independent Black comic creators and manga influenced artists. Tyehimba stressed that the most exciting work is happening where creators control their stories and distribution. When asked to offer advice to younger generations, he was direct. Do not let anyone else tell your stories. He argued that when Black narratives are outsourced, the result is often distortion and erasure, even when intentions appear positive.
Scholar, author, and visual artist Kwadwo Duane Deterville widened the frame by connecting Afrofuturism to global power dynamics. He shared insights from an Afrofuturist symposium linked to Dakar, Senegal, where he presented on artificial intelligence and its implications for Africa and the diaspora. Referencing African Union level discussions around AI strategy, Deterville urged listeners to remain deeply suspicious of how technology is designed, deployed, and controlled. He emphasized that technology reflects the values of its creators and argued that Afrofuturism must interrogate the roots of technological systems, not just their surface aesthetics. He also highlighted Afrofuturist moments in music, including a collaboration between jazz pianist Jason Moran and Detroit techno pioneer Jeff Mills, as examples of Black innovation grounded in lineage and experimentation.
Throughout the conversation, Davey D connected these insights back to questions of ownership and narrative power. He pointed to how outsiders profit from one dimensional stories about Black communities, shaping public perception and policy while extracting cultural value. He urged listeners to study models like Detroit’s electronic music legacy, recommending the documentary God Said Give Em Drum Machines as both inspiration and cautionary tale. For Davey D, Afrofuturism is inseparable from protecting intellectual property, creative process, and cultural memory.
As the discussion closed, the panel offered overlapping guidance for the future. Be mindful of what you consume and who profits from your emotions. Value Black creativity and do not underprice it. Protect community spaces and knowledge through intentional gatekeeping. Question technology at its foundation, not just its output. Davey D distilled it into a final rule for the digital age. Platforms extract. Ownership matters. Protect your methods. Share B level game, not A level game.
Hard Knock Radio heads into 2026 with a familiar but urgent understanding. The future is already being built in books, studios, classrooms, bedrooms, and community spaces. The real question is who controls the tools, who owns the stories, and who benefits from the imagination shaping what comes next.
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.