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Henderson, Tennessee — Professors on Poetry combined the celebration of Black History and Women’s History Month with a discussion of Afrofuturism through poetry, musicians, artists and writers led by professors Neil Segars, Loren Warf and Derrick Spradlin.
Filled with fun snacks like Pop Rocks, popcorn and cookies, the insightful event immersed students in cultural exploration of artists new to them. Segars explained the origins of Afrofuturism as a literary genre that derives from speculative fiction, music, and art created by Black artists throughout the 20th century and beyond. Cultural critic Mark Dery helped to spread the word about Afrofuturism in his 1993 essay “Black to the Future.” In it Dery used the term to describe a cultural aesthetic that blends elements of science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction with Afrocentric themes in the African diaspora.
Students analyzed selections from Black artists such as Janelle Monae, Terese Mason Pierre, and Tracy K. Smith. Segars split the discussion with an introduction to Afrofuture icons jazz musician Sun Ra and funk band Parliament-Funkadelic.
Junior English major Isabella Minor’s attention was captured by Tracy K. Smith’s “The Museum of Obsolescence.” Taken from her Pulitzer Prize-winning compilation “Life on Mars,” the poem depicts a futuristic museum filled with present-day items. “It was very humbling and thought-provoking to think of all the things that people will no longer see value in the future,” Minor said.
Senior English major Eric Cox was captivated by “Sci-Fi,” another Smith poem from her collection that discusses a distant future dependent on technology. Even though her writing was new to him, Cox found Smith’s poem easy to relate to.
“I was pleasantly surprised when Dr. Warf showed us some Afrofuturist poetry,” he said. “It was just what I had been hungry for in our modern times.”
Minor and Cox expressed their hopes for future Professor on Poetry topics such as the Psalms or Asian literature.
Professors on Poetry, started by Segars, began pre-pandemic and contains the discourse of all six English professors, including Dr. Margaret Payne, Dr. John McLaughlin, and Hannah Graves. The monthly event exposes students to poetry outside of the classroom. In recent years, the group has held numerous discussions around various literary topics such as nature and religion.
The mission of Freed-Hardeman University is to help students develop their God-given talents for His glory by empowering them with an education that integrates Christian faith, scholarship and service. With locations in Henderson and Memphis, FHU offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees. More information is available at fhu.edu.
