The current excitement associated with the February 2018 release of Black Panther has been infectious. Provocative and visceral, the recently released trailer and associated imagery & commentary in advance of the film have been exciting to me both as a black Sci-Fi fan and, in particular, an engineering educator and researcher. Mirroring many of the discussions spurred by last year’s release of Hidden Figures, Black Panther through plotline, premise, and actual making brings to life the value and power of diverse & inclusive representations in STE(A)M. However, for me, Black Panther, in its Afrofuturistic imagining of a technologically advanced African nation, Wakanda, devoid of western involvement, extends these conversations around diversity and inclusion. In particular, the relevance of diversity in thought and perspective in engineering is elucidated and, specifically, their value in aiding the engineer in tackling the identified grand challenges for engineering in the 21st Century is underscored.
As engineers seek means by which to design, develop, and deploy technologies in meeting these challenges especially in the areas health care, education, and the environment, it is important that the engineer, think and act, specifically, imagine – more holistically – in conceiving and delivering solutions of benefit to ALL of humanity. Unfortunately, often as a function of a lack of diversity in perspectives, beliefs, and values of those privileged to engage in these grand engineering exercises, a more homogenous view of humanity may emerge. This narrower lens of perspective not only constrains the engineering exploration but could foster technological solutions that are blind to the needs and considerations of often marginalized and disenfranchised groups such as Black/African-Americans here in the United States. While an unintentional consequence of the engineer’s decision-making, the implications can be profound
Afrofuturism, a means by which to view possible and alternative futures through a black cultural lens [1], represents a means by which diverse solution possibilities can be cultivated and realized; expanding the solution space both in novelty and, equally as important, inclusivity. And, inclusivity matters in technology design and without appropriate countermeasures and/or advocacy the risk exists of constructing technologies that simply “mirror a narrow and privileged vision of society, with its old, familiar biases and stereotypes”. This argument vividly & unfortunately reminds me of an essay in the Atlantic entitled “Technology Versus African-Americans” by Anthony Walton. In this 1999 essay (which remains relevant today), he states that:
“…blacks have participated as equals in the technological world only as consumers, otherwise existing on the margins of the ethos that defines the nation, underrepresented as designers, innovators, and implementers of our systems and machines. As a group, they have suffered from something that can loosely be called the technological illiteracy. Though this has not been the point of technological innovation, it has undeniably been its fallout. It is important that we understand and come to terms with this now; there are technological developments in the making that could permanently affect the destiny of black Americans, as Americans and as global citizens”.
Afrofuturism offers a potential antidote to this thesis. In explicitly placing the often-disenfranchised black voice central – with an intent of universal betterment through and by technology, Afrofuturism, at its core, offers a bridge of empathy; connecting the pertinent cultural insights & considerations to the engineering dilemma. With this understanding, not only could a more culturally relevant engagement occur but more inclusive engineering “design thinking” be fostered. This could provide a more complete and inclusive picture of all people throughout the engineering process and “when we have this complete picture of the people, it’s easier to see the social impact of design decisions, and harder to build inadvertent stupidity into the assumptions and algorithms that go into creating technology.” This ability to uncover, see, & address – holistically – the consequences of decision making, truly reflects the superpower defining today’s new breed of engineer.
