Pursuing Educational Equity with Afrofuturism and Futures Scenario Planning

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Afrofuturism, Sankofa, and the Radical Imagination in Black Educational Thought

Abstract

This paper supports the 2026 Research Focus on Black Education Special Interest Group’s theme “Black Futurity, Sankofa and Afrofuturism” by exploring the use of Afrofuturism and narrative futures scenario planning as epistemologies for addressing persistent educational inequities. Afrofuturism, through its emphasis on Black cultural lenses, inclusivity, collectivism, and creativity, offers a radical framework for critiquing the past and present while speculating about truly equitable futures. Our paper details how Afrofuturism can serve as an analytical lens in education research and a methodological approach for crafting narrative scenarios. We present a speculative scenario for 2044, illustrating how this approach expands imaginations for educational transformation, fostering hope and actionable planning to mitigate negative outcomes and cultivate just instructional experiences for all students.

Authors

• Darnel Degand, University of California - Davis

• Sosanya M. Jones, Howard University