AfroFantastic: Black Imagination and Agency in the American Experience

This exhibition is curated by Rollins students under the direction of Julian Chambliss, Ph.D., Professor of History. AfroFantastic analyzes the complex sociopolitical forces linked to the black imagination in the American experience from the 19th century to present day. Exploring significant historical works of minority imagination and the critique inherent to their creation, student curators examine how concerns about the African-American experience has shaped imagined and real circumstances. From early efforts such as Martin Delany’s Blake; or Huts of America (1859) and Sutton E. Griggs’ Imperium in Imperio (1899) to Sun Ra's fantastic musical revolution in the 1970s, future-oriented narratives have provided powerful markers of societal transformation. Beyond fantastic escapism, black engagement with future visions challenges societal expectations and  creates a space to reshape the meaning of the American experience.