Reflective Indices of Africanfuturism in Ibi Zoboi’s Nigeria Jones
Abstract
Racism and segregation against the Blacks in the Diaspora paves way for Africanfuturism as a concept coined by African, Nnedi Okorafor, to anticipate the future of Africans or the Blacks in the Diaspora. Previous studies focused on Afrofuturism and the theme of race, identity, and violence as a way to address racism. However, this study investigates reflective indices of Africanfuturism in Ibi Zoboi’s Nigeria Jones, as Africanfuturism work with the aim to restore lost identity and negotiate new identity as a means of survival in a strange land. It uses African history, African belief system and worldviews to restore the future of Africans in the Diaspora. Decolonial theory is used for this paper. The template of Ato Quayson and Ankhi Mukherjee’s Decolonial theory serves as the analytical tool for this study. This study reveals instances of African history in Ibi Zoboi’s Nigeria Jones such as Sankofa of the Akan people of Ghana, Malcom X’s struggles, and Mau Mau’s resistance. It also reveals African belief system such as Ubuntu, Uhuru, and the coming of the dead of African ancestors asa therapy to their people during the birthday of the child, Freedom Sankofa. African worldviews such as the concept of family in Africa, andnot forgetting one’s root are also depicted in this research. Diaspora literature can, thus, adopt African history, African belief system and world-views to anticipate a better future for Africans both at home and in the Diaspora.
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