MLK, Afrofuturism, and Pop Culture’s Transformative Power

This BCAF discussion explores the relevance of Martin Luther King Jr. in contemporary popular culture, particularly through the lens of comics and Afrofuturism. I moderate a panel of scholars, including the Reverend Dr. Sakena Young Scaggs of Stanford University, Vanderbilt University’s Dr. Juan Floyd-Thomas, and Dr. Montague Williams of Point Loma Nazarene University, who share their personal connections to comics and discuss how the medium can visualize complex ideas and social injustices, reflecting and transforming consciousness. They emphasize how King's legacy, though sometimes misinterpreted or sanitized, continues to inspire movements and offer guiding principles like love and resistance to oppression for imagining radical Black futures beyond conventional boundaries. The discussion highlights examples like the "March" trilogy and "Lovecraft Country" as powerful avenues for engaging with King's enduring message. Now, on to the conversation.