Cal State Bakersfield launched its Black History Month celebrations with a kickoff event on Feb. 2, highlighting this year’s theme: Afrofuturism. The event encouraged students and community members to reflect on the past, embrace the present, and imagine a future without limits.
Dr. Dwayne Cantrell, vice president for Student Affairs and Strategic Enrollment Management, welcomed attendees and emphasized the importance of Black history in shaping future generations.
“As we look at the theme of Afrofuturism, we’re talking about no limits to our legacy,” he said.
Cantrell reflected on the lack of Black history representation in classrooms during his youth, sharing the importance of visibility and education.
“When I grew up, I didn’t have classes that talked about my history. I didn’t see myself in textbooks, and I didn’t hear my story being told in the classroom,” he said.“I don’t want the next generation to feel limited by anything. I want them to grow up saying, ‘I can do anything.’”
Dr. Rhonda Dugan, professor and chair of the Department of Sociology, was the keynote speaker at the kickoff event, where she explored the meaning of Afrofuturism and its role in envisioning liberation for Black communities.
Dugan began her speech by requesting a moment of silence for recently deceased professor, James P. White III.
Dugan stated that African futurism expresses notions of Black identity, agency, and freedom through art, creative work, and activism that envision liberated futures.
She mentioned Octavia Butler’s “Parable of the Sower” and how the book is centered around a black teenage girl leading her community to create a new world. She described the book as an example of African futurism, imagining liberated futures rooted in Black experience
She also emphasized the concept of Black Place, spaces where Black communities create joy, belonging, and resilience.
“Black Place is about creating sites of endurance, belonging, and resistance. Even in challenging times, we find ways to celebrate, play, and create joy,” Dugan said.
Dr. Vernon B. Harper Jr., president of CSUB, who was also at the event had an inspiring message for students.
“The theme of this year’s Black History Month is Afrofuturism, a movement envisioning liberation for a group of people who have long been oppressed,” Harper said.
He encouraged students to engage with the month’s programming and reflect on their role in shaping the future.
“Students, you are instruments of that future. I encourage you to engage with the programming this month and to reflect on our shared path,” he said. “Each one of you has the capacity and talent to become the next hero of our beautiful story.”
The kickoff event set a tone of reflection, empowerment, and community engagement, inviting students to celebrate Black history while imagining a future filled with possibility.
An Afrofuturism book display will be featured all month on the second floor of the CSUB library, showcasing literature and resources that explore the intersection of imagination, technology, and liberation in Black culture.
