THE MET: Remixing the Future: The author and illustrator John Jennings discusses Seneca Village, Afrofuturism, and writing The Met's first graphic novella.

Before the founding of The Met or the construction of Central Park, Seneca Village—a bustling neighborhood of predominantly Black landowners—stood just west of the Museum’s current Fifth Avenue building. Approximately 225 residents inhabited an area of around five acres, between 82nd and 89th Streets near the Upper West Side. Our latest Bulletin, Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room, celebrates the opening of the Museum’s newest period room installation and honors the legacy of a vibrant community that was fragmented by the city’s use of eminent domain in 1857.

With texts from curators Ian Alteveer, Hannah Beachler, Sarah Lawrence, and Michelle Commander, the Bulletin provides further context for this period room built upon the speculative philosophy of Afrofuturism and imagined histories from the eighteenth century through the present. The publication also features a graphic novella by New York Times–bestselling author and illustrator John Jennings, the first of its kind in the history of The Met’s publishing program. I had the opportunity to speak with Jennings about his work and passion for science fiction as well as his thoughts on Black identity and the role museums play in surfacing and preserving Black stories. (Read More at The Met)