The University of Wisconsin will showcase this year’s Black History Month theme — Afrofuturism, “the reimagining of the future of Black people through various mediums,” with their fourth event of the series, ‘Heal N’ Paint: Addressing Generational Trauma.’
The painting activity will be held in the Black Cultural Center of the Red Gym tomorrow, Feb. 11, from 6-8:30 p.m.
With the help of art, ‘Heal N’ Paint: Addressing Generational Trauma’ will be an exercise of stress relief and overall healing.
The event will provide mocktails and other refreshments as participants express their conflicts in a healthy and productive way. A professional artist will be present to help participants paint with Afrofuturism in mind.
‘Heal N’ Paint’ is scheduled to conclude with a group painting that brings those victims of the African diaspora possible peace. Participants will have a broader discussion on how these people can move forward to create a collective future better than their pasts.
On a broader scale, that’s what Afrofuturism hopes to bring African American students and faculty this February. The series officially began with a Black History Month kickoff event, where the 2020 Student Planning Committee introduced “An Afrofuturistic Affair,” a dance sponsored by the Black Cultural Center last Friday.
The official ‘Afrofuturism: B(l)ack to the Future’ hopes to educate participants of the Black past, and how it influences the present and guides the future. It also takes time to appreciate African American heritage and remember the impacts of the African Diaspora.
It also proves to emphasize the fight for equality from past Black UW Students.
The ‘Afrofuturism’ series exemplifies the Black Student Strike of 1969, where students of all races protested Black inequities on campus.
Their site provides a link to an interactive timeline and other multimedia of the strike, taking place from February through March. It includes their ‘13 Demands,’ testimonies from protesters and their current profiles.
This year’s committee chose to commemorate the rich and courageous actions of former and current UW students. In culmination, Afrofuturism strives to preserve a strong African American image.
Queer and Trans People of Color Crossroads Initiative features art in honor of Black History Month
UW’s ‘Afrofuturism’ will host ten more events throughout the month, ranging from talks to viewings to arts showcases. If you can’t catch ‘Heal N’ Paint,’ there will be two more events this week — “Black History Month: A Look Into the World of ‘Pose’” Friday, Feb. 14 and “Zine Making Workshop: Design Your Own Future!” Saturday, Feb. 15.
Be sure to celebrate Black History Month and remember those who contribute to the current social climate and ‘Afrofuturism.’
Learn more about the series here.
