Alma Vessells John the quintessential community Queen Mother
Alma Vessells John, revered in the Harlem community as “Sister John”, was born on September 27, 1906, and grew up in South Philadelphia in a... Read More
African-American history
Queen Mother Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama was born Jan. 17, 1964 on Chicago’s South Side to a homemaker and a factory worker. Watching her father struggle with... Read More
Sidney Poitier the Actor, Scholar, Gentleman and Diplomat
Someone like us on the silver screen I was 11 years old when Sidney Poitier filmed Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”. When I saw... Read More
Sun Ra and his Arkestra then (1992) and now (2022)
When the 2022 Afrofuturism series was announced by Carnegie Hall, I scrolled eagerly through the rather eclectic line-up of the festival. I was hoping it... Read More
AfroFuturist Period Room “almost woke” at the MET?
Reclaiming the Past While Being Future Forward The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a selection of what are called “period rooms.” As in many other... Read More
Transgenerational Trauma and Healing for African-Americans
The Inherited Strength in Mind, Body and Soul of Our African Ancestors A rich new culture blending old and new rituals, style and music has... Read More
Hartmut Geerken’s Sun Ra Archive Finds A Home in Germany
On Halloween 2020, amidst the height and dread of the COVID-19 pandemic, I received a telephone call from Munich, Germany. The caller was Hartmut Geerken.... Read More
Futurism or more specifically AfroFuturism?
2 min read
Finding a way forward As I’ve worked with the Routes‘ team to put the February edition together. I’ve found myself encountering a recurring theme “futurism”... Read More