Afrofuturism, Afrofuturist Intellectual Mixtapes.
General information
Organisation / School
Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), Columbia University and Virginia Tech.
Duration
Adaptable according to literary content and age group. 1 -2 weeks.
Target group (age range)
7-9, 10-13, young adults.
Group format
Small group, class.
Context of the Practice
History, science and literature. Learning audio recording, editing, collaborating, writing and uploading to a website. Media studies.
Description of the Practice
It is a teaching method using audio as the material to analyze and rework. The intellectual mixtape is an audio-visual-textual assignment with seven-parts. First, students listen to media like lectures, poems, songs, interviews, etc. For the second part students learn the basics of audio recording and editing in order to create their own tracks of the Intellectual Mixtape. For the first assignment students are free to improvise with the tools to learn how to edit and record audio. For the third part, students are tasked with creating the first of three audio tracks, which can be 1 minute long. The student’s created audio tracks should include: a sample from the audio syllabus, snippets with their own voice and in their own words and an area of the media of their choosing. Along with this, students write a 500 word liner notes that have a title for the track and their notes on the curation and mixing decisions. In the fourth part, students work in pairs to create a second track that can be 1.5 minutes in length. And it also features a sample from the syllabus, a region with their own voices in their own words, and a region of their choosing with liner notes. The fifth part of the assignment is a third audio track that can be between 1.5 to 2 minutes in length, and collaboration is optional; the third track had the same criteria for regions and liner notes. For the sixth part, the students posted their three-track mixtape online with liner notes and included “remixed” or original cover art. In part seven, students performed their intellectual mixtape.
Link with Uchronia or Alternative Narratives
Does the practice involve rewriting history, alternative scenarios, role play, or speculative narratives?
Yes
Explanation:
Students are invited to discuss, create and envision what the future would look like if marginalized communities have more agency and access, and particularly if the slave trade had not come to Africa or the Americas what would the world look like?
In particular for the assignment of intellectual mixtapes: students are actively recreating primary sources of history, and providing their own views and insights to the work. They are creating a dialogue with their peers and with the material.
Social and Transversal Skills Developed
What are the skills developped?
- Empathy
- Communication
- Cooperation
- Conflict management
- Critical thinking
- Media literacy
- Creativity
Explanation:
Through discussion, group work, individual work editing and writing.
Inclusion and Accessibility
Targeted learners (learning difficulties, diversity, disengagement):
To increase emotional awareness, cultural awareness, diversity, and to reach marginalized communities. Open to learning difficulties. Promoting inclusivity.
Accessibility measures used:
The use of mixed media graphic novels, videos, literature, audio, and recording.
Impact and Outcomes
Observed impact on pupils:
Discussions and surveys to get the view points of students. Audio notes show the reading and content comprehension.
Feedback from teachers or pupils:
Surveys afterwards.
Transferability
Can the practice be reused or adapted?
Yes
Conditions for replication:
Refer to Afrofuturist literature and content as a reference for creating the curriculum.
Through online platforms and tools for audio recording and editing. Can be remodeled to other media like writing, collage, video, and drawing. It is transferable to different age groups.
Relevance for Reframe the Story
This project uses the imaginative aspects of uchronia to help students to both connect to the content and to imagine a more positive future for themselves and others. It allows them to be critical of the past and to think about how they see themselves and how that can influence them and their future.
History is often written by those in power, Intellectual mixtapes gives students the opportunity to take charge of writing and deconstructing history. Students can walk away from this exercise feeling empowered and a part of story telling and art.