The State of Black Sci-Fi 2012: Why is it Important to Show Race, Culture, Minority Politics or Ethnicity in Sci-Fi?

To me showing race is science fiction is as important and the story itself. I will sum it up in this quote. “Black Science Fiction is of the utmost importance. Our children as well as other races need to see black people in a positive light. Everyone is mis-educated when all anyone

gets to see is negative images of black people. It’s not accurate and just not right, period. The children alive today will be the ones running the planet when we are old. We owe it to ourselves and them to lead and help develop them. We can’t do that by continuing to let misrepresentations dominate the media we feed them.

I would like to add that today’s science fiction is tomorrow’s science fact.
All races need to be part of the development of those facts.

Jarvis Sheffield, M.Ed. – is owner & operator of TheDigitalBrothers.com, BlackScienceFictionSociety.com & BlackCommunityEntertainment.com.

Visit him:
http://www.blacksciencefictionsociety.com/profiles/blog/list?user=2stjwb1h216fd
http://blacksciencefiction.wordpress.com/

Check out the other members of this Online Black History Month Event: 

L. M. Davis, Author–began her love affair with fantasy in the second grade.  Her first novel,Interlopers: A Shifters Novel, was released in 2010, and the follow-up Posers:  A Shifters Novel will be released this spring.  For more information visit her blog http://shiftersseries.wordpress.com/ or her website www.shiftersnovelseries.com. 

Milton Davis, Author – Milton Davis is owner/publisher of MVmedia, LLC . As an author he specializes in science fiction and fantasy and is the author of Meji Book One, Meji Book Two and Changa’s Safari. Visit him: www.mvmediaatl.comand http://www.mvmediaatl.com/Wagadu/

Margaret Fieland, Author– lives  and writes in the suburbs west of Boston, MA with her partner and five dogs. She is one of the Poetic Muselings. Their poetry anthology, Lifelines http://tinyurl.com/LifelinesPoetry/is available from Amazon.com  Her book, “Relocated,” will be available from MuseItUp Publishing in July, 2012. The Angry Little Boy,” will be published by 4RV publishing in early 2013.  You may visit her website,http://www.margaretfieland.com. 

Valjeanne Jeffers, Author – is an editor and the author of the SF/fantasy novels: Immortal, Immortal II: The Time of Legend and Immortal III: Stealer of Souls. Her fourth and fifth novels: Immortal IV: Collision of Worlds and The Switch: Clockwork will be released this spring. Visit her at:http://valjeanne.wordpress.com andhttp://qandvaffordableediting.blogspot.com/

Alicia McCalla, Author- writes for both young adults and adults with her brand of multicultural science fiction, urban fantasy, and futurism. Her debut novel,Breaking Free will be available February 1, 2012.  The Breaking Free theme song created by Asante McCalla is available for immediate download on itunes and Amazon. Visit her at: http://www.aliciamccalla.com

Carole McDonnell, Author–She writes Christian, speculative fiction, and multicultural stories. Her first novel is Wind Follower. Her short fiction has appeared in many anthologies and have been collected in an ebook, Spirit Fruit: Collected Speculative Fiction. Visit Carole: http://carolemcdonnell.blogspot.com/ orhttp://writersofcolorblogtour.blogspot.com/

Rasheedah Phillips,Author–is the creator of The AfroFuturist Affair in Philly. She plans to debut her first spec/sci-fic novel Recurrence Plot in Spring 2012. You may catch her ruminating from time to time on her blog, AstroMythoLosophy.com.

Nicole Sconiers, Author-is also a screenwriter living in the sunny jungle of L.A. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Antioch University Los Angeles, and she recently published Escape from Beckyville: Tales of Race, Hair and Rage.  Visit her:http://nicolesconiers.com/index.html

Jarvis Sheffield, M.Ed. is owner & operator of TheDigitalBrothers.com, BlackScienceFictionSociety.com & BlackCommunityEntertainment.com. Visit him:http://www.blacksciencefictionsociety.com/profiles/blog/list?user=2stjwb1h216fd

The State Of Black Science Fiction

Day 1

I believe that Black Science Fiction as a genre is in its infancy.

Historically as a rule, black involvement is science fiction has been that of secondary support roles or those that do not show us in a positive light. There have a few exceptions to that rule. To counter that, Blacks have been slowly infiltrating the science fiction genre. One way has been to create our own media that portrays us in a positive light. This black science fiction genre continues to grow and spread.

It is not enough to simple be included but audiences are demanding that we play center stage in the realm of science fiction. This demand is not limited to acting but behind the scenes in such areas as development, writing, as well as ownership.

It has not been widely publicized but truly great things going on in a close knit independent underground culture of black sci-fi. There has recently been a boom in independent black science fiction related conventions, sites, magazines, books, movies, shows, animation movies and yes even toys.

There continues to be a wealth of talent in all areas of black science fiction. The challenges faced however include, financing, marketing, promotions, distribution and support to make the gains sustainable. There are great things to come. As time passes solutions to the challenges will be minimized and those involved will gain greater audiences and recognition which in turn will help the genre grow and flourish.

Jarvis Sheffield, M.Ed

Administrator

www.BlackScienceFictionSociety.com

Check out the other members of this Online Black History Month Event: 

L. M. Davis, Author--began her love affair with fantasy in the second grade.  Her first novel, Interlopers: A Shifters Novel, was released in 2010, and the follow-up Posers:  A Shifters Novel will be released this spring.  For more information visit her blog http://shiftersseries.wordpress.com/ or her website www.shiftersnovelseries.com. 

Milton Davis, Author – Milton Davis is owner/publisher of MVmedia, LLC . As an author he specializes in science fiction and fantasy and is the author of Meji Book One, Meji Book Two and Changa’s Safari. Visit him: www.mvmediaatl.com and http://www.mvmediaatl.com/Wagadu/

Margaret Fieland, Author-- lives  and writes in the suburbs west of Boston, MA with her partner and five dogs. She is one of the Poetic Muselings. Their poetry anthology, Lifelines http://tinyurl.com/LifelinesPoetry/ is available from Amazon.com  Her book, "Relocated," will be available from MuseItUp Publishing in July, 2012. The Angry Little Boy," will be published by 4RV publishing in early 2013.  You may visit her website, http://www.margaretfieland.com. 

Valjeanne Jeffers, Author -- is an editor and the author of the SF/fantasy novels: Immortal, Immortal II: The Time of Legend and Immortal III: Stealer of Souls. Her fourth and fifth novels: Immortal IV: Collision of Worlds and The Switch: Clockwork will be released this spring. Visit her at: http://valjeanne.wordpress.com and http://qandvaffordableediting.blogspot.com/

Alicia McCalla, Author- writes for both young adults and adults with her brand of multicultural science fiction, urban fantasy, and futurism. Her debut novel, Breaking Free will be available February 1, 2012.  The Breaking Free theme song created by Asante McCalla is available for immediate download on itunes and Amazon. Visit her at: http://www.aliciamccalla.com

Carole McDonnell, Author--She writes Christian, speculative fiction, and multicultural stories. Her first novel is Wind Follower. Her short fiction has appeared in many anthologies and have been collected in an ebook, Spirit Fruit: Collected Speculative Fiction. Visit Carole: http://carolemcdonnell.blogspot.com/ or http://writersofcolorblogtour.blogspot.com/

Rasheedah Phillips,Author--is the creator of The AfroFuturist Affair in Philly. She plans to debut her first spec/sci-fic novel Recurrence Plot in Spring 2012. You may catch her ruminating from time to time on her blog, AstroMythoLosophy.com.

Nicole Sconiers, Author-is also a screenwriter living in the sunny jungle of L.A. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Antioch University Los Angeles, and she recently published Escape from Beckyville: Tales of Race, Hair and Rage.  Visit her: http://nicolesconiers.com/index.html

Jarvis Sheffield, M.Ed. is owner & operator of TheDigitalBrothers.com, BlackScienceFictionSociety.com & BlackCommunityEntertainment.com. Visit him: http://www.blacksciencefictionsociety.com/profiles/blog/list?user=2stjwb1h216fd

GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU. LOOKS LIKE BLACK SCIENCE FICTION SOCIETY WILL BE AT ONYXCON!!!

I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK EACH OF YOU THAT SUPPORTED US ON THIS EFFORT.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK THOSE THAT WANTED TO GIVE BUT COULD NOT AT THIS TIME.

I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY MEMBER FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS AND JUST JOINING US ON THIS JOURNEY. THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT HAS HELPED REACH THE GOAL SO WE COULD ATTEND.

IF YOU ARE PRIVILEGED TO MAKE IT TO ONYXCON STOP BY OUR TABLE SO WE CAN GET TO KNOW YOU PERSONALLY. IF YOU ARE NOT, WE WILL MAKE A POINT TO TAKE PLENTY PICTURES AND VIDEO TO KEEP YOU INFORMED. GOD MAY NOT BE THERE WANT YOU WANT HIM, BUT HE IS ALWAYS ON TIME. THANKS FOR SHOWING THE GOD IN YOU!

SINCERELY,

JARVIS (J. BERNARD) SHEFFIELD

ADMINISTRATOR

ONYXCON 3! AUGUST 19th & 20th!

The Entire event takes place at:
SOUTHWEST ARTS CENTER915 NEW HOPE ROAD ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30331
TIMES TO KNOW!
AUGUST 19th is the Day for The ONYXCON INSTITUTE and THE OFFICIAL ONYXCON ART EXHIBITION!The Art exhibition is from 6PM - 9PM and is free & open to the public. We will be honoring the late great writer of Popular Arts fiction, Mr. Dwayne McDuffie. Seewww.dwaynemcduffie.com for more info on this legend. 
ONYXCON INSTITUTE  - 9AM TIL 4PM  ARRIVE EARLY!The ONYXCON INSTITUTE costis $35 general admission. $25 with proper High School or College ID.


ONYXCON - The CONVENTION  is on Saturday AUGUST 20, 2011 from 11AM - 7PM.General Admission is $10. Ages 6-12 are $3. 5 and younger are free.
 Experience Vendors showcasing unique comic books/graphic novels, novels, video games, toys, promotional clothing (T-shirts,etc.), the Arcade, activities, games, displays, the Art Show, book signings, cosplay/masquerades, music vibes and performances! WELCOME  TO ONYXCON! 

The ONYXCON INSTITUTE will feature tutorials/workshops by professional Artist in 2D and 3D techniques common in todays comic book, animation, and film industries. There will also be presentations in writing techniques. Finally, there will be a panel Discussions on SEX & VIOLENCE in The Popular Arts & how both are approached, analyzed, challenged, embraced, and the impact on African Diaspora's creators and consumers of Popular Arts. THIS PANEL WILL CONTAIN LANGUAGE, SUBJECT MATTER, IMAGES, AUDIO, AND DISCUSSIONS FOR A MATURE AUDIENCE! PARENTAL DISCRETION IS ADVISED!

Only 16 years and older are admitted to the Onyxcon Institute with proper ID. Parent or Guardian must accompany anyone under 16. 18 and older are admitted to the Sex & Violence Panel. Anyone younger must present the approval of a guardian for attendance. e-mail to RSVP or for information: onyxcon@gmail.com

ONYXCON INSTITUTE

The ONYXCON INSTITUTE consist of workshops/tutorials and panels by industry professionals in comics, gaming, animation, writing, and various other areas of interest for the popular Arts community. 
ONYXCON 3 is proud to showcase the following presenters:

MSHINDO KUUMBA I Digital PhotoShop CS Master! 10AM -11:30PM
STEVEN BARNES   -  SEX & VIOLENCE in POP ARTS PANEL 3-4pm

TANANARIVE DUE  -  SEX & VIOLENCE in POP ARTS PANEL 3-4pm
AFUA RICHARDSON  - TECHNIQUES IN ILLUSTRATOR 11AM -12PM &  SEX & VIOLENCE in POP ARTS 3-4PM


TURTEL  ONLI  -  SEX & VIOLENCE in POP ARTS PANEL 3-4PM
MAURICE NOVEMBRE  3D rendering digital Maya &     THEATER 1- 2PM

RICH 'URAEUS' TYLER - Networking & Brand Building your Concept  10AM -11AM
N STEVEN HARRIS - Cenematic Sequence    BLACK ROOM 2-3PM
TENTATIVE- JAMES 'MASE' MASON - Building The STREET TEAM Video GAME!     BLACK ROOM 1-2 PM

I am pleasantly surprised with the last month’s progress. God is indeed good to me. Here is a brief recap of
things that have happened so far.

The GENESIS Anthology of Black Science Fiction was completed on schedule. We ran into a few technical issues
but got it done and we will continue to improve the process in the future.

Alien Encounters was a magnificent success. The attendance was great, the speakers
were phenomenal, and the crowd actively engaged the panelists and speakers with
intriguing questions and insight. Everyone in attendance had a productive and
informative time that they took away from the experience.

The publishing company has been established to publish works produced by Black Science Fiction Society called
Graves Sheffield Publishing. It is staffed primarily by me and my lovely wife
who has supported me throughout the process of making the project a success.
This coupled with 2 years research and tutorage by industry veterans has made it
possible to take dreams and turn them into realities.

We are eager to continue turning dreams into to realities. We decided to add to our goals movie making.
The idea is to partner with writers from the Anthology and start creating films
in the upcoming year.

Stay tuned, we will continue to plug away at this thing. Join the site if you haven’t already and share in the
community of like minded individuals of black science fiction.

Jarvis Sheffield

Administrator

www.BlackScieneFictionSociety.com

www.TheDigitalBrothers.com

www.GravesSheffield.com

History and etymology An African-American scholar and social activist, Ron Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 as the first African-American holiday. Karenga said his goal was to "...give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday and give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society." The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza", meaning "first fruits". The choice of Swahili, an East African language, reflects its status as a symbol of Pan-Africanism, especially in the 1960s.

Kwanzaa is a celebration that has its roots in the black nationalist movement of the 1960s, and was established as a means to help African Americans reconnect with their African cultural and historical heritage by uniting in meditation and study of "African traditions" and "common humanist principles." The first Kwanzaa stamp was issued by the United States Postal Service on October 22, 1997 at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, California. In 2004 a second Kwanzaa stamp, created by artist Daniel Minter was issued which has seven figures in colorful robes symbolizing the seven principles.

The origins of Kwanzaa are not secret and are openly acknowledged by those promoting the holiday. Many Christian and Jewish African-Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa do so in addition to observing Christmas and Hanukkah.

Principles of Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa celebrates what its founder called "The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa," or Nguzo Saba (originally Nguzu Saba - "The Seven Principles of Blackness"), which Karenga said "is a communitarian African philosophy" consisting of what Karenga called "the best of African thought and practice in constant exchange with the world." These seven principles comprise Kawaida, a Swahili term for tradition and reason. Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the following principles, as follows:

* Umoja (Unity) To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.
* Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.
* Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together.
* Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
* Nia (Purpose) To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
* Kuumba (Creativity) To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
* Imani (Faith) To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Observance

Families celebrating Kwanzaa decorate their households with objects of art, colorful African cloth, especially the wearing of the Uwole by women, and fresh fruits that represent African idealism. It is customary to include children in Kwanzaa ceremonies and to give respect and gratitude to ancestors. Libations are shared, generally with a common chalice, "Kikombe cha Umoja" passed around to all celebrants. Non-African Americans also celebrate Kwanzaa. The holiday greeting is "joyous Kwanzaa."

A Kwanzaa ceremony may include drumming and musical selections, libations, a reading of the "African Pledge" and the Principles of Blackness, reflection on the Pan-African colors, a discussion of the African principle of the day or a chapter in African history, a candle-lighting ritual, artistic performance, and, finally, a feast (Karamu). The greeting for each day of Kwanzaa is "Habari Gani,"which is Swahili for "What's the News?"

At first, observers of Kwanzaa eschewed the mixing of the holiday or its symbols, values and practice with other holidays. They felt that doing so would violate the principle of kujichagulia (self-determination) and thus violate the integrity of the holiday, which is partially intended as a reclamation of important African values. Today, many African-American families celebrate Kwanzaa along with Christmas and New Year's. Frequently, both Christmas trees and kinaras, the traditional candle holder symbolic of African-American roots, share space in kwanzaa celebrating households. To them, Kwanzaa is an opportunity to incorporate elements of their particular ethnic heritage into holiday observances and celebrations of Christmas.

Cultural exhibitions include "The Spirit of Kwanzaa," an annual celebration held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts featuring interpretive dance, African dance, song and poetry.
Evolution in Kwanzaa's observance

In 1977, in Kwanzaa: origin, concepts, practice, Karenga stated, that Kwanzaa "was chosen to give a Black alternative to the existing holiday and give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society."

In 1997, Karenga and the community evolved, stating that while Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday, it can be celebrated by people of any race: "other people can and do celebrate it, just like other people participate in Cinco de Mayo besides Mexicans; Chinese New Year besides Chinese; Native American pow wows besides Native Americans."[

Currently, according to the Official Kwanzaa Website authored by Karenga and maintained by Organization US, which Karenga chairs, "Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday. And it is not an alternative to people's religion or faith but a common ground of African culture...Kwanzaa is not a reaction or substitute for anything. In fact, it offers a clear and self-conscious option, opportunity and chance to make a proactive choice, a self-affirming and positive choice as distinct from a reactive one."

Karenga's most recent interpretation emphasizes that while every people has its own holiday traditions, all people can share in the celebration of our common humanity: "Any particular message that is good for a particular people, if it is human in its content and ethical in its grounding, speaks not just to that people, it speaks to the world."