Sometime in the last few months, I was able to go see Terry Marshall’s lecture on Afro-futurism. The topic in itself is a very unique one to be heard in a lecture, and I was quite pleased with the new change of subject when it came to watching artist lectures. I always have held a strong interest in the cultural arts and social justice in our modern time.
The first things he spoke about when he talked about inspiration brought back some heavy nostalgia factors for me. I have always been an X-MEN fan and Storm has been in my list of favorite superheroes since I was little. When Terry explained why he thought Storm was such an inspirational character, being a strong, black, female leader in a time of discrimination, I completely understood and agreed with what he said. His interpretation of the backstory of the African American race mirroring a science fiction story made sense as well. Finally, I agreed with the factor of aesthetics being the draw-in for the first meeting of anything you come across.
His concerns were totally valid as well. When it came to social problems in our government system like healthcare, there were plenty of stories yet no direct action for change or social justice. Terry needed to gather together young people as “young invincibles” in campaigns and make a clear culture and story for the center of organizing these campaigns. He’s done a ton of things even when he was in college, and he is a very moving activist. He’s done projects like the Black Body Survival Guide which is a sarcastic remark on how African Americans should act when coming near a police officer. He also went to the Occupy SL event in St. Louis College to peacefully protest the police attacks that had happened in the South. He worked with other groups such as Black Eye Collective and We Are The Ones.
Overall, it’s inspiring to hear and see of how much he has done to try and help further increase social justice and Afro-futurism. It seems like he is very dedicated to speaking out against the police officers who have beaten and committed wrong acts against other people. Hearing about his story of how he was chased by a police officer gave a better understanding of his mindset, and I could understand despite having family who are police officers. He’s a very inspirational man.
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