Afrosurrealism
an ode to the surreal nature of blackness
Surrealism
a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature which sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the unnatural, irrational juxtaposition of images or effects in art such as literature, film, or theater
Surrealism is often dream-like and fantastical, something that is unbelievable to the eye and mind. In the 1920’s is where surrealism shined and became a movement amongst artists of all fields. You are exploring the minds thoughts.
“Surrealism became an international intellectual and political movement. - influenced by the psychological theories and dream studies of Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) and the political ideas of Karl Marx (1818–1883). Using Freudian methods of free association, their poetry and prose drew upon the private world of the mind, traditionally restricted by reason and societal limitations, to produce surprising, unexpected imagery”
When It comes to afro-surrealism, it was coined as Afro-Surreal Expressionism by Amiri Baraka. He exclaimed that, the experience of being black in america was profoundly surreal; and that couldn’t be more true.
I believe the experience we hold as african americans on united states soil is so surreal; being from any african descent where your bodily autonomy was stripped from you and your nations are colonized by those who deemed you uncivil and immoral. even to this day in modern times; we have to deal with blatant or even undercover racism, working within a white supremacist system that would rather see a country suffer than to give basic rights to black people. To me this sounds like almost every syfy conflict when it comes to governing bodies; it’s all based on the racial injustice black people are going through without saying its black people.
WOODINVILLE, WA, USA
I have never given voice to this but I have always felt conspicuously unsupported by and unsafe in the world around me. For years, I have normalized and become numb to the nation’s animosity toward black men. American society imposes limits on me, limitations set only by the color of my skin. To break through society’s glass ceiling for black men, I must be exceptional. My gut reaction to feeling unsafe is to rebel. I rebel against any limitation or expectation set for me and push boundaries on my own terms. A world where I felt safe, valued, and loved would be one where society was equitable and supportive for all people, including me.
SEATTLE, WA, USA
It was frightening for me to think that there could possibly be a world that valued, loved and kept me safe. Since I don’t have an accurate reference for this type of existence, I’m petrified I would leave out things that would be my innate birthright, sadly, because I lack vision to see them. I know when I create, I could not achieve any painting success if I had no vision.
“Where there is no vision, the people will perish.” [Proverbs 29:18]
Even when I attempted to imagine my made-up world, the magic was fleeting, and that in itself makes me want to weep. I didn’t realize how this question would affect me. I thought it would be fun, until I couldn’t see my possibilities even in my imaginary mind. Processing this question became incredibly more difficult when I thought about how the Black mother has to adjust her children’s perspective at age five, so they can safely attend kindergarten and not be harmed while away from her. I can’t answer this type of question because just the idea makes me feel worse knowing I might not ever achieve a glimpse of the WHAT IF I was loved, valued, and safe …
- Black Imagination by Natasha Marin
Within the book Black Imagination by Natasha Marin, it is a collection of black voices who speak powerfully about individual visions of happiness, safety, Fear, rituals and healing and presents an opportunity to go into the mind of blackness without the lens of whiteness. This book in of itself is surreal. black thought, uninterrupted by whiteness. Stories and accounts of our day to day and the feelings of blackness that we don’t get to express regularly because outside of our bubble it is not safe to engage and be ourselves fully; due to white supremacy, anti blackness, etc. etc.
Though our whole existence is surreal by nature. How we express it is our golden ticket. Black people are the best Creatives bless straight from source, quick witted and elastic, overflowing with energy. I can’t tell you a person that hasn’t mastered it within each genre; from movies (Ryan coogler with Black Panther and now Sinners!), to Literature (James Baldwin/Alice Walker/Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, to name a few), to musicians (Willow smith’s sound on empathogen is so fresh and vibrates on another level!). It’s surreal the way in which we create. the list can go on and on of our talents and accolades. And lets not forget The Blues! Turning our pain to music in the times of hardship. The folklore and stories passed down. the spiritual practices and how we used them. Using conjure to help those in the communities against oppression. on the flip side of that, us being lynched and eaten at picnics (Pick a N*****) where white people would watch the lynchings as a family gathering and then eat us (Pick up The Delectable Negro by Vincent Woodard, it tells all about how white people used to eat us) it’s so surreal but it is our real experience.
and I can’t forget the whimsy. Using Afro-Surrealism to create a world of fun and safety is a genre people tend to gloss over. This goes out to my Fantasy writers and comic creators making worlds of their own. Escapism within blackness is surreal. Which is why artists fight so hard to create their own things with us in mind; A full Black cast with a Black main Character. We don’t see ourselves in media and when we do get representation, it’s usually an ambiguous biracial, and EVERYONE who isn’t black still complains. So we make our own things.
Afro-Surrealism is a look into ancestry, present moment and the unimaginable. It is a lane just for us. For some, that is just being able to live for the next day with no stress; for others it’s a new world of fantastical ideas full of black whimsy.
Even in a surreal existence we thrive. Afro-Surrealism is fantastical in all facets!
“Though our whole existence is surreal by nature. How we express it is our golden ticket.” Love how you framed that!
Your piece is a powerful articulation of what Afro-Surrealism truly is: not just an artistic movement, but a lived reality shaped by the absurd contradictions of Black life in a white supremacist world. You echo Amiri Baraka and extend his insight—that to be Black in America is inherently surreal. Your writing captures that beautifully.
What struck me most is how you weave together the trauma and transcendence of Blackness. From the horrors of lynching and cannibalism to the joy of fantasy and creativity, you show that Afro-Surrealism lives in both our pain and our imagination. You remind us that Black people have always made the unimaginable tangible—through music, literature, conjure, and community.
Your references to Black Imagination and Willow Smith’s empathogen underscore how Afro-Surrealism spans genres and generations. I especially appreciate your focus on Black whimsy and how it is too often ignored, as a vital form of resistance and healing. Creating safe, fantastical worlds where we are centered isn’t escapism, it’s survival.
This essay is more than cultural commentary; it’s a call to honor the full spectrum of Black experience. Thank you for writing with such clarity, depth, and love for our people.
—A Fellow Scholar of Black Dreaming