Photo gallery Exploring Afrofuturism with Pierce Freelon
Black History Month keynote speaker Pierce Freelon discussed Afrofuturism with an enthusiastic crowd of more than 75 at Union South’s Varsity Hall on Feb. 27. Freelon is a professor, director, musician, Emmy Award-winning producer, and a millennial politician. He hosted a student-moderated dialogue, a freestyle beat-making session and answered thoughtful questions from the audience. Afrofuturism is the (re)imagining of the future for Black people through various mediums such as the arts, media, and literature.It’s a cultural movement that uses the future as a way to (re)imagine the realities and possibilities for those part of the African diaspora.

Photo by: Jeff Miller
Keynote speaker Pierce Freelon is flanked by student moderators Chelsea Hylton and Nile Lasana — both members of The Black Voice — as Freelon addresses the topic of "Why Afrofuturism" during a Black History Month event.
Photo by: Jeff Miller
A crowd of more than 75 people attended Pierce Freelon's speech on Afrofuturism.
Photo by: Jeff Miller
The audience was enthusiastic about the topic of Afrofuturism, which is the (re)imagining of the future for Black people through various mediums such as the arts, media, and literature.
Photo by: Jeff Miller
From left to right, audience members Karla Foster, Jaylah Batemon and Karinton DeVille cheer as Freelon leads a freestyle beat-making session during his Black History Month event talk.
Photo by: Jeff Miller
A sticker on keynote speaker Pierce Freelon's laptop computer referred to his experience in 2017 running for mayor of the City of Durham.
Photo by: Jeff Miller
Evan Lewis, a graduate student in the Department of Afro-American Studies and native of Durham, N.C., asks about keynote speaker Pierce Freelon's experience in 2017 running for mayor of the City of Durham.
Photo by: Jeff Miller
Freelon leads a freestyle beat-making session with Shannon Jones II, at left, and De'Aire Reed, at right.
Photo by: Jeff Miller
Freelon Pierce is the founder of Blackspace, a digital maker space in Durham where young people learn about music, film and coding.
Photo by: Jeff Miller
Freelon is pictured with members of the UW-Madison Black History Month committee following his talk.Tags: diversity, recent sightings