 As the Black Panther excitement spreads, Afrofuturism is an increasingly hot topic, but it's not new. In fact, it's been around for decades. First named in 1994 by cultural critic Marc Derry, Afrofuturism is a vibrant cultural movement exploring Afrocentric themes through the lens of sci-fi, fantasy, and steampunk. And it's been around for well over a century. But Afrofuturism isn't just sci-fi with black characters. It's a thematic, future-forward exploration of the experience of being black, and it crosses platforms, art forms, and disciplines. Edward Johnson's 1904 novel, Light Ahead for the Negro, is about an African-American man who travels into the future and discovers a socialist, egalitarian, post-racist America. The book is widely considered to be one of the earliest literary Afrofuturist works. Profound technological advances in mid-century America, we're talking everything from atom bombs to television sets, gave rise to expanded Afrofuturistic exploration of music, art, and on-screen. Musicians like Sun Ra and Lee Scratch Perry were among the earliest Afrofuturistic influencers in Ra's case claiming to be descended from aliens and tasked with preparing Earth for its eventual cosmic liberation. This simultaneous reclaiming of both the past and the future is a central theme in Afrofuturism and one that's taken up in many ways. Just look at Wakanda, an African nation that has avoided the ravages of war, oppression, and colonialism to become the most technologically advanced human civilization in the marble universe. In fact, Black Panther encompasses many central themes to Afrofuturism, such as feminism, alienation, and reclamation. One need only look at their female-populated military force, the Dora Milishe, to see themes of feminism and African culture. While Black Panther is the latest and maybe most visible Afrofuturist movie to hit theaters, it follows a long line of like-minded films, such as Space is the Place, The Brother from Another Planet, Blade, and Afronauts. Music is one of the richest platforms for Afrofuturism with artists like George Clinton, Jimi Hendrix, and African Bombada paving the way for musicians of the 21st century. Janelle Monae, Eric Abadou, Missy Elliott, FKA, Twigs, Flying Lotus, and Outkast are just examples of a few musicians who have imbued their work with Afrofuturist themes and aesthetics. So what's your favorite example of Afrofuturism in film, television, or music? For Hip-Fix on Uprocks, I'm Steve Vizquez.