Earthseed is an Afrofuturist digital humanities research project at the intersection of Black Media Studies, Digital Media, and Science Fiction Studies, inspired by the philosophy of prescient science-fiction legend Octavia E. Butler. We define Afrofuturism as an epistemology and cultural movement that melds art, science, and technology to imagine and create what acclaimed science fiction writer Samuel R. Delany calls Black livability. The study of Black livability is crucial in an era where COVID-19 and other issues of systemic injustice continue to ravage Black communities. Currently, Earthseed is an online portal that houses and supports faculty, undergraduate, and graduate student research in Afrofuturism.
During the 2021-2022 academic year, Earthseed’s digital media hub grew to include the following aspects: an extensive bibliography of Afrofuturist work, a detailed interactive timeline of the history of Afrofuturism as an epistemology, intellectual field, and cultural movement, with special attention to often overlooked Afrofuturist women, non-binary, and LGBTQIA people in the field; interviews with contemporary Afrofuturist meaning-makers on our Earthseed podcast; and a blog with attention to current events and news in Afrofuturism.