JOURNAL ARTICLE

Hope for a Generation: Speculative Fiction as a Tool for Racial Justice and Systems Change.

  • Published In: TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies (University of Toronto Press), 2025, v. 50. P. 83 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Ware, Syrus Marcus 3 of 3

Abstract

This article examines the use of speculative fiction and creative practice as tools for imagining and mobilizing transformative social change, particularly through the lens of Black, Indigenous, queer, and trans survival amid climate crisis, capitalism, and white supremacy. Drawing on the author’s research-creation projects—including the immersive performance and installation *Antarctica//MBL Freedom* (2019–2022) and the eight-channel video *Ancestors: Do You Read Us? Dispatches from the Future* (2019)—the work explores themes of colonialism, environmental collapse, and revolutionary hope. Influenced by speculative fiction authors like Octavia Butler and cultural frameworks such as Afrofuturism, these projects envision futures where marginalized communities survive and thrive, emphasizing hope as a practice to inspire collective action. The article situates artistic creation as a vital form of activism that prefigures new social possibilities and fosters intergenerational dialogue about survival and liberation.

Additional Information

  • Source:TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies (University of Toronto Press). 2025/03, Vol. 50, p83
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Religion and Philosophy
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:1206-0143
  • DOI:10.3138/topia-2024-0031
  • Accession Number:186053366
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies (University of Toronto Press) is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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