The COVID-19 pandemic left a lot of in-person events and events labeled "superspreaders" (an event with typically having 50 or more people in an enclosed space for more than 15 minutes and no social distancing) in the dust. This prevented the Afrofuturism Lounge from being a physical event in 2020 and 2021. While a virtual event took their place, there is something to be said for the connection people can have when we're together in-person.

The Afrofuturism Lounge has always been a parallel event to the San Diego Comic Con (SDCC). SDCC is one of the largest comic conventions in the world! Dr.Richmond originally planned to hold an off-site afterparty during SDCC in 2018 for industry insiders, but later decided to open it to the public and had 700+ people registered to attend! The Afrofuturism Lounge has continued on since then and continues to grow every year with new guests and offers to the public.

Our parent organization, EDFU Foundation, is a proud sponsor of the Afrofuturism Lounge and our Afronauts podcast will be there in-person to give a live show!

Last year, Dr.Richmond separated the fan convention aspects of the Afrofuturism Lounge into its own convention. The first ever AfroCon was held at the YMCA in San Diego,CA during Labor Day weekend and welcomed over 300 guests!

AfroCon 2022 will be held September 3-4 at the same YMCA in San Diego, CA. Stay tuned for more information to come!

"Dr. LaWana" to Moderate Schomburg Center Afrofuturism and Black Feminism Discussion
San Diego, Calif. (March 21, 2022) -- LaWana Richmond EdD ("Dr. Lawana"),  founder of the Afro Con, Afrofuturism Lounge and The Black Speculative Arts Movement, San Diego Chapter, will moderate Black Women Organizing for theFuture, part of the Schomburg Center's Afrofuturism and Black Feminist Futures  series.

The virtual conversation will take place Thurs., March 24, from noon - 1:30 pm EDT. Panelists include Shannon Ziggerzaggerz Theus (Los Angeles), Dacia Polk (St. Louis), Schetauna Powell (Houston), Zaika Dos Santos (Brazil), and Queen Kukuyi (Canada) -- all standouts in the Black Speculative Arts Movement.

"I'm honored to lead this important discussion, which will illustrate the transformational impact of Black women's organizing through art, collective politics and freedom dreaming," Dr. Richmond said. "The history of Black women creatively and unconventionally organizing is long and fruitful.  Perhaps now more than ever, we see it transforming the lives of all people, particularly Black women and Black people of marginalized genders."

The Schomburg's Black Feminist Futures series highlights the relationship between Afrofuturism and Black feminism in literature, film, art, fashion, and community organizing. The program is presented by the Schomburg Center's 10th Annual Black Comic Book Festival.

Dr. Richmond, a pioneer in Afrofuturism, brought attention to the concept in 2018 when she presented and hosted the first Afrofuturism Lounge as part of the many  events offered during San Diego Comic Con. She later founded The Black Speculative Arts Movement, San Diego Chapter. Most recently, in her capacity as board member for Edfu Foundation, Inc., Dr. Richmond hosted “Black Women on Black Futurity”, a multigenerational conversation about visions for the future and how to get there as a parallel event during the United Nations Conference on the Status of Women.
Dr. Richmond holds a Bachelors in Business Administration from San Diego State University, a Masters in Information Systems from National University, and a Doctorate in Education Leadership from UC San Diego/CSU San Marcos. She has more than 15 years of experience in financial/business systems planning and organizational development and higher education administration at UC San Diego. You can learn more about Dr. Richmond at DrLaWana.com.

Register for the March 24th event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-feminist-futures-series-black-women-organizing-for-the-future-tickets-231908995047.