I have always been drawn to the intersection of race, culture, and justice,
particularly in relation to environmental issues. I have long believed that a deep connection to nature is a fundamental right shared by all, which led me to seek a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by communities excluded from environmental decision-making. This drive motivated me to enroll in a class that explored the intersection of race and science fiction.
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In the Spring of 2021, I took a class called Race and Science Fiction (AFAM/POLI 393). It was an African American Studies class cross listed as Political Science class. I was introduced to the concept of Afrofuturism, a lens for reimagining futures for Black people, where technology, race, and history intersect in the creation of new possibilities.
 
Afrofuturism challenges the linear and colonial narratives that often depict the Black
experience as being rooted in oppression and suffering. It offers a vision where Black people have not only overcome systemic challenges but have created futuristic societies that thrive in harmony with both technology and the natural world.
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In class we used a Race and Sci Fi Framework to analyze the racial meanings and political impacts of stories read or watched. I have linked the framework handout here. 
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-Link to Race and Sci Fi Framework Handout (POLI 393)
-Link to U.S. Construction of Race notes (POLI 393)
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In Race & Science Fiction, the concept of race as a social construct with profound real-world
implications aligns well with my understanding of nature, particularly when framed through the lens of environmental justice. As I’ve explored in my own academic and personal experiences, nature is often socially constructed, shaped by historical, cultural, and political influences. This is mirrored in the exclusion of Black voices from the environmental narrative and the lack of representation of marginalized groups in science fiction.
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Afrofuturism allows us to envision a future where the environment is not a space of exploitation but of interconnection, empowerment, and healing. It is in this future that Black communities, much like Wakanda in Black Panther, can access advanced technologies and ecological wisdom to reclaim their rightful place in the global environmental movement.
 
One example that resonated with me from class was the depiction of Benny Russell in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s “Far Beyond the Stars.” Benny Russell, a Black man in the 1950s, envisions a future where a Black captain leads a space station, something unimaginable for the time. This vision is an Afrofuturist approach to resistance; a way to reshape the narrative by asserting the possibility of Black excellence and leadership in a future that often refuses to see it.
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-Link to film sheet #6: analysis of Black Panther
-Link to film sheet #4/#5: analysis of Star Trek
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This framework deeply influenced my work as an Environmental Justice Peer Leader for the
University of South Carolina's Office of Sustainability. The parallels between Afrofuturism and the Environmental Justice movement became evident when I explored how historically marginalized communities have been excluded from decisions about the environment.
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While presenting an EJ 101 PowerPoint—an introductory overview of the environmental justice movement given to University 101 classes and the broader Sustainable Carolina audience—I had the opportunity to educate my peers about the origins of the movement, the lasting impacts of redlining, and the political ramifications of race within environmental justice.
 
In my role as an EJ Peer Leader, I worked to explain that environmental justice is not merely about creating stable policies but ensuring that those policies do not uphold the systemic inequities that disproportionately affect marginalized communities. One lesson I drew from Star Trek and Afrofuturism was that it’s crucial for these communities to not just fight for policy reform, but to actively reclaim the narrative of their environmental futures. The vision of Black communities not just surviving but thriving with agency and autonomy in a healthy environment is an Afrofuturist vision of justice.
 
I also reflected on the racial conflict depicted in Star Trek as a way to understand the racial divides in the environmental justice movement. The historical conflict between oppressed communities and those in power reflects how marginalized communities are often ignored or made invisible in discussions about the environment. However, just as Afrofuturism challenges historical narratives about Black communities' futures, Environmental Justice is a challenge to current environmental policies and resource distribution, which often sustain the harm done to communities of color. By embracing Afrofuturism’s vision of empowerment and reimagining an equitable environmental future, we can push past the limits of traditional environmental discourse and demand a world where racial and environmental justice are inherently interconnected.
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Just as Afrofuturism offers a space for Black people to resist the oppressive narratives of the past, Environmental Justice provides an opportunity for marginalized communities to reclaim their agency in environmental decision-making. Through my work with Sustainable Carolina, I have understood firsthand the importance of not just seeking equity but also empowering communities, from my fellow study body to the greater Columbia area, to envision their own sustainable futures.
 
Through this experience, my understanding of community evolved. It transcended my surface level beliefs of unanimous agreement or homogenous membership and became about collective action, growth, and positive change as I was inspired and encouraged by my teammates. With their help, I channeled this understanding into an interactive learning tool that demonstrated the importance of social empowerment, equity and inclusiveness in decision-making. Players confront the challenges of resource distribution and experience firsthand how justice and sustainability impact community well-being.  The game is team based and requires negotiation between community stakeholders such as corporations, government, marginalized communities, wealthy communities, and activists. Teams began with a designated number of resources, reflecting real-world limitations like access to capital. To mirror societal imbalances, the initial resource distribution was inefficient.

My goal was for my peers to gain a deeper understanding of the EJ movement by immersing them in decision-making scenarios that reflect real-world power dynamics and the systemic barriers communities face in achieving consensus and equitable distribution.
Future versions of the game will integrate real-world data and case studies to enhance its educational impact and applicability. This experience showed me the value of immersive education in igniting civic participation and building empathy. It highlighted the importance of critical thinking especially in the context of resource allocation, systemic inequalities, and environmental equity. I plan to present on this discussion at Discover USC in April 2025.
 
Linked here is the game presentation used during our event, SustainabilitiTEA, a discussion-based event.
 
As a peer leader, I also had access to a personal coach who would meet with me regularly to
discuss my goals and methods of achievement for that semester. In one of our meetings, we deep dived into the concept of intersectionality, a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe how multiple social identities (such as ethnicity, economic status, or gender) interact inevitably.
 
This lens helped me articulate that environmental justice issues are not simply about the environment, but about how race, class, and other factors shape who bears the brunt of environmental harm.
 
These layers of experience are not separate but intertwined, much like how Afrofuturism insists on seeing Black people’s past, present, and future as interconnected rather than segmented into isolated struggles; and much like how our constructivist approach to understanding nature intertwines multiple facets of existence.
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Afrofuturism can be used to challenge the environmental justice narrative by emphasizing that Black people have always had a connection to the land, not just as victims of environmental exploitation, but as stewards of ecosystems and architects of sustainable futures. In essence, Afrofuturism reshapes how we view the relationship between race and the environment, offering a vision where Blackness, cultural heritage, and ecological wisdom are inextricably linked. It provides a radical hope for a future where racial and environmental justice are no longer seen as separate struggles but as interconnected movements toward collective liberation.​