Parable of the Sower and Afrofuturism: Ahmad Abdulwadood

 I was unable to attend the Opera, so instead I'll be writing about the book. I read Parable of the Sower as a well-constructed Afro-Futurist text. To me, the book appeared as a contemplation on how addressing climate change requires an imaginative vision/philosophy and the cultivation of new social relations—this involves addressing existing racial, gender, and capitalist dynamics. I think it's interesting how the utopian vision is mapped onto space colonization; I almost wonder how this technological/scientific vision of progress overshadows the moral and social demands of utopia.  I wonder how futurist visions are both revolutionary and unproductive because of their speculative positioning. 

This book reminded me of "The Comet," a fictional short story by W. E. B. Du Bois. This story starts in a world where humanity has been seemingly wiped out by a meteor, leaving behind one black man and a white woman. This story can also be read as an Afro-futurist contemplation on resolving and dealing with white supremacy/racism. Here's an interesting performance/reading of the story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHTcrM_Fx04&ab_channel=MusiqueMacabre