Blog Post 4

Blog Post 4 

So far in our course about Afro-futurism, we have talked about many different themes, messages and topics that can be conveyed through different mediums. Particularly, one work that we have gone over that has stuck with me is the film Daughters of the Dust by Julie Dash. This film was set in 1902 and talks about a family named Peazant family and is set in the Sea Islands right before they are getting ready to migrate to the mainland. 

One theme that was present in this work is how Dash used memory as resistance. One character in the movie, specifically Nana Peazant, insisted on honoring the past and the people who came before them. Or another example is the bottle tree which was used to remember everyone who came before them. It is clear that memory is a mode of survival, especially for a group of people that have been systemically diminished. 

Another theme that I thought was central to this movie was Black womanhood and healing. The film showed a lot of Black women’s labor and traumas. During lecture, Professor Due also pointed out how Eula dealth with the emotional labor, shame and even healing through her dealing with sexual violence and how it had an effect on her. I think another divergence of how Black womanhood was portrayed in this film was through the relationship of Yellow Mary and her partner. By showcasing a queer relationship, I think it was intended to challenge the traditional norms and also show that Black womanhood is not a one-size fits all identity. Because engaging in a queer relationship is seen as going against the social norms that are imposed on Black women and even Black men, Dash’s choice of this relationship was intentional and sent a message of challenging these social norms, which I thought was really unique and amazing. 

Another key theme from this film is nature. Dash’s cinematography makes the water, branches, and trees important emotionally and spiritually. As Professor Due even noted, if you were to watch this film on mute, you could still feel the emotional and spiritual power. I think this also reinforces the connection between the characters in the film and their land - the Sea Island setting was very intentional. As we saw in class, Beyonce paid tribute to Dash’s film throughout her Lemonade album, both lyrically and visually through her music videos and live performances. Beyonce used similar color pallets, themes of Black womanhood and even generational healing that Dash addresses in her work. 

It was very eye opening and interesting to analyze Beyonce's Lemonade album, but through an Afrofuturist lens. It was interesting to me because I took a class in my senior year of high school, where we analyzed Beyonce’s album and lyrics to find deeper themes and truths revealed in her music. But, by being in this class and even looking at the original work by Dash that she drew so much inspiration from, everything clicks more. I deeply analyzed Beyonce's lyrics and writing through an English point of view, and now that I can analyze it through an Afro-futurist point of view, I understand many deeper themes that Beyonce talks about.