Supergroovalisticprosifunkstastic Films, Music and LIterature

(props to George Clinton for the blog title)

The "Last Angel of History", a film by John Akomfrah, is an intriguing parallel between afrofuturist literature and sonic music that attempts to destroy the binaries that predetermine conceptions for people of different races, cultures, or traditions. The beginning starts off with the story of guitarist Robert Johnson who appropriated his soul to the devil in order to learn the secret black technology. This technology would inevitably guide black Americans to social revolution and help to preserve their heritage and their future. This technological breakthrough is blues. True blues. Blues brought out through depression, economic crisis and the segregation Americans. Akomfrah's movie helps to exemplify how the beginning of this black technology helped to construct a vehicle intended to preserve African American pride and culture.

Also set in the 1920's was a book called "The Comet" by W.E.B. Du Bois. This book shows the extremities of black segregation when a poisonous gas from a passing comet kills all the people of New York and devastates the only two people left - a rich white woman and a poor black man. It is easy to see that the poor black man represents the African American society and the rich white woman represents prejudice white society. When left to their individual differences white society says "How foolish our human distinctions seem now" (Du Bois 14). For the first time the black society feels appreciated as part of humanity because black humanity is accepted. For the first time white human society feels equality because of embracing difference. Though it does not last long in the book, Du Bois eliminates negative preconceptions by taking them to an extreme power and putting them in persepctive.

Du Bois also says in "The Comet" that black people are treated as "alien in blood and culture." (Du Bois 17) This extraterrestrial aspect of African Americanism is used a positive contraption to secure African American heritage. One of the many astronomical extraterrestrial promoters was the funkadelic musician, George Clinton. George Clinton was the musician behind the popular "Mothership Connection" record. When asked about the record he responded saying that he feels that "space to black people is...like we've been there...[like] descendents from teh stars." [Akomfrah] George Clinton is able to promote the individuality of African Americans through their literal alienation. At the same time the element of galacticism helps to destruct the divisions between normal binaries. The divisions of black and white, man and machine, same and difference, outside and inside are all permeable entities when compared to alien elements. All humanity unites in the presence of an alien, and when African Americans are not the alien they become united as well. Much of the afrotfuturist writing and music plays to this element and is a positive influence on the future of African American culture. What do music, literature, and film have in common? They are all vehicles that convey a message. For afrofuturists this message is directed to humanity to eliminate racism and promote individuality.


The main character of Akomfrah's film, "The Last Angel of History" was the last angel, the data thief. The data thief searches for clues to help to reclaim African American past for the future. One of the clues he found was a stone that read "The line between social reality and science fiction is an optical illusion." Isolation in post-apocalyptic novels, and alienation in first contact narratives are all allegories of the present miscegenation and racial discrimination. Of course when put into perspective through extraterrestrial metaphors or when left to individualistic expression, it is easier to see what was white and what was black is actually in between. It’s not quite grey, its more beautiful than that. It’s more of a tie dye.

Works Cited

Du Bois, W.E.B. "The Comet." 1920

Akomfrah, John. "Last Angel of History." 1996