Black to the Future: February Is A Time To Unleash The Black Imagination

By Darnell Moore, Head of Strategy and Programs at Breakthrough U.S.

In 2015, the Black Lives Matter Global Network remixed Black History Month — ushering in a new way to remember and honor the lives and contributions of Black people around the world. Tanya Lucia Bernard, who was the arts and culture director at the BLM network at the time and the creative force behind the project, described Black Futures Month as a “time for black people to imagine life in the future.”

I had the honor of partnering with Tanya and others to curate a month-long series of visual art and literary contributions created by artists, writers, thought leaders and organizers, which were published at Huffington Post: Black Voices. Since then, #BlackFuturesMonth has emerged as a theme uplifting the power of the radical imagination. February, and the months before and after, offer the public an opportunity to conceive of a world free of anti-Black racism, patriarchy, sexism, xenophobia, ableism and all forms of violence that impede Black life and freedom.

This year, Breakthrough is building upon the legacy of “freedom dreaming” that we have been bequeathed through the innovative cultural work of the BLM Network. We commit to using our platforms to inspire the public to dream beyond the problems impacting Black communities. And we know that moving beyond problems by focusing on solutions can only happen when we honestly reckon with the ways that anti-Black racism is a global issue that is upheld by widespread complicity. We don’t want to inspire dreams only; we want to inspire people to dream so that they can be activated as change agents who take on the responsibility of building the Black-loving communities we deserve.

Our imaginations are powerful. It is there, within our “freedom dreams,” where visions of a more just and loving world are envisioned. Our imaginations are also political. Who are the peoples and communities present, and alive, in your freedom dreams? How does your imagination inspire visions of a world where ideas like equity and safety are realized and felt, especially in the lives of the most marginalized?

We invite you to join us on this journey. Dream. Reflect. Commit to self-examination. Love. But, more, let’s collectively build a world more reflective of a vision for freedom for all.

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For further reading on Black Futures Month:

How We Learned (Are Learning) Transformative Justice by Adrienne Maree Brown

I Dream of Healthy Black Futures by Renee Bracey Sherman

The Black Possibilities Coup by Amtyah Osunbunmi Asili

Pay Young Black Folks to Do the Work They Want to Do by Tiffany Dena Loftin

Black Sex Matters: No More Fear of Flying by Sonya Renee Taylor

My Fight for $15 is about Black Futures by Naquasia Legrand