Over the course of the last two semesters, Composition for Creative Expression helped me get used to college work, and taught me valuable skills in writing. In class, I learned the skill of reading through long text critically and in general the ability to research. I dealt with numerous sources that were long and at times tedious to read, but exercising this skill led me to be able to get through texts faster, and skim efficiently so as not to waste time, while still gaining needed information. Before this class, it was harder to convey my thoughts and analysis of art in words, as I felt that my feelings toward it were too overwhelming to translate. However, this class had me reading many essays for both homework and research that perfectly articulated my thoughts. Being exposed to and often reading these works helped me better understand how to write just exactly what I had been trying to put into words this whole time.

The very first essay that I wrote in class was the artifact essay, which I wrote on Rent by Jonathon Larson. This was my first introduction into writing essays in college, and it was the first time that I did such thorough research on a piece of writing. When discussing Rent’s influence and impact, I realized that I would have to do extensive research on the time period and social issues that it tackled in order to properly communicate the show’s significance. The research process was tedious, but ultimately rewarding, and the experience taught me how to do proper research, as well as citations. Looking back on the essay, I am proud of the research and information that I added to the essay, but it’s clear that I was still struggling with the integration of quotes to my work. The quotes felt clumsily shoved in, and broke up the flow of the essay. 

Another project that I worked on in this class was the genre translation project. This project served as a challenge for me, as I had to consider the musical Rent, and reimagine it in a whole new medium of art. My decision to translate the musical into a collage stemmed from the fact that a collage would allow me to put images of characters and real life activists of the time side by side, which would highlight the importance Rent had on representing the cause and goals of AIDS activists, and starving artists of the 80s and 90s. By having to imagine the show in a completely different way, I was able to deepen my understanding and appreciation for the original material. If I had to go back and redo the project, I would have added more quotes from the show itself. “La Vie Boheme” is the most recognizable and iconic lyric, but I feel as though adding more quotes and lyrics from the show would have better represented and celebrated the characters and the story itself, instead of mostly focusing on the real life activists. This would have created a more harmonious and cohesive blend of the story and real life.

The latest essay that I completed was my research essay, where I wrote about the genre of Afrofuturism. I had the most experience when writing this, and would therefore consider it to be my best essay that I’ve written in Composition for Creative Expression. Because I was able to choose my topic, this essay comes off as more passionate. By the time that I wrote it, I had learned and understood how to use the CCNY online library, which meant that I had access to strong reputable sources. I also improved in my use of mla citation. At the beginning of the year, I struggled with the format, but by the time I wrote my research essay, I had an understanding of how to write using mla citations. Finally, my integration of sources had vastly improved since my artifact essay, and the transition between my essay to my quotes became much more seamless and cohesive. The essay also helped me learn and understand how to analyze works of art of various mediums. Rather than just quoting different articles, I explored song lyrics, and listened to music as a way to deepen my understanding of my topic. This provided me with a well rounded research experience.

To conclude, Composition for creative writing is a course that I initially did not think much of, and was not particularly interested in. Compared to the musical theatre class accompanying it, I

expected this class to be boring, and a typical writing class that I would learn nothing from. However, this class transformed me from a proficient high school writer, to a college student with advanced analyzation skills, and the ability to do thorough research with strong sources. This course has undoubtedly made me a better reader, writer, and researcher, which in turn has made me into a better college student.     

Cecilia Gordon

Nov. 30,2025

The pop culture perception of Afrofuturism tends to view it as a quirky artistic genre that blends sci-fi with Black culture. This simple definition, however, undersells its importance. Afrofuturism isn’t just an aesthetic style, it’s a mode of cultural progress that actively reimagines Black futures in which Black people are central, empowered, and technologically sophisticated. The genre operates as cultural critique, art, and a social movement. Examining Afrofuturism as both art and politics reveals how Black artists have used creativity to confront histories of oppression, and envision futures of freedom separated from colonial narratives. By reimagining history and envisioning a liberated future, Afrofuturism challenges stereotypes and reclaims the narrative of a Black identity. From the works of writers like Octavia Butler to the visuals of Black Panther, Afrofuturism celebrates Black creativity, resilience, and possibility, and shows that the future belongs to the African diaspora.

Within the movement of Afrofuturism, there were many leading and influential figures, two of which were Sun Ra, and Octavia Butler. Sun Ra was an American jazz composer and bandleader who is recognized as one of the most prominent pioneers of Afrofuturism, specifically in music. With albums like “Space is the place” and “Jazz in silhouette”, Sun Ra was known for his experimental and far out musical stylings. His contributions to Afrofuturism went beyond just music, as he also wrote several books of poetry and philosophy presenting his cosmic beliefs. On the surface, people may dismiss his beliefs as ridiculous and fantastical. He did -after all- believe that he was from Saturn. However, his cosmic philosophy is consistently underscored with social commentary. For example, a lyric from his piece “Myth Versus Reality” is “”I don’t expect to be a citizen of this planet, it takes too long,” (Sun Ra) In this way, Sun Ra’s ideology is truly one of progressive liberation. Another example of this is a quote from the film “Space is the Place” in which he says to a group of Black youth “I’m not real. I’m just like you. You don’t exist in this society. If you did, your people wouldn’t be seeking equal rights. You’re not real. If you were, you’d have some status among the nations of the world”. (Sun Ra) In this way, Sun Ra was able to blend fantastical cosmic ideologies with the pursuit of social justice. Another such influence was Octavia Butler. Butler was a visionary science fiction writer whose work led her to be widely considered as “the mother of Afrofuturism”. Butler was an intersectional writer, as her works challenged both gender and racial inequality, with her books consistently centering Black women. This helped reshape the genre of science fiction as a whole, as it was previously occupied and associated mostly with white males. The article “Intersections of Race, Gender, and Faith: Ecological and Spiritual Post humanism in the Afrofuturist worlds of Octavia Butler” states “Unlike many other writers, Butler approaches themes such as slavery, feminism, identity, and fear in a nuanced and speculative manner. Her works delve beyond these traditional topics to explore profound ideas of technological transformations, the revival and evolution of religion, and the integration of alien influences into the lives of Black people.” (Sekar 1363)This approach to literature made Octavia Butler’s work foundational to Afrofuturism, as she blends envisioned futures with the topics of race, gender, and faith. 

As established, Afrofuturism has routinely found itself interwoven with politics and social movements. Because Afrofuturism was so connected to Black Americans and their culture and experiences, it was inevitable that it quickly began grappling with the treatment of its people. According to Etienne C. Toussaint in his essay, “This part weaves the early writings of Black intellectual thought into the broader tapestry of Afrofuturism, positioning these visions of resistance, empowerment, and imagined alternative futures as prophetic blueprints for the radical futures now articulated by contemporary Afrofuturist thinkers.”(1411) Essentially, Afrofuturism contributed to this reevaluation and criticism of American democracy, and went even further, as they “reimagined justice itself”, and envisioned Black futures beyond oppression. This aspect of Afrofuturism leads to an important effect. According to “What Good is Science Fiction and Fantasy to Black People?”, “The vision of change that works of Afrofuturism depict are not idyllic utopias disconnected from the struggles that we currently face, but they are visions that inspire us towards each other and instill the hope we need to avoid the paralyzing despair, extreme individualism, and destructive, enraged silence that many find themselves enduring.”(Crosby) This quote underscores Afrofuturism’s most defining and vital feature: its radical optimism. The genre rejects oppression, reimagines the past, present, and future, and envisions a positive world for the Black community. In a world when this group has been routinely marginalized and suppressed, joy and positivity in and of itself can be a politically and socially motivated movement. 

Afrofuturism transcends time periods. It was not a passing movement that faded into obscurity. In fact, it still remains as a relevant and popular genre to this day. One example of a contemporary Afrofuturist influence is Janelle Monae. Monae is a Grammy-nominated singer, rapper, songwriter, producer, and actor, who is known for their retro-futuristic musical style which they pair with elements of science fiction. Monae’s queer identity also plays a large part in the themes of her music. While I will focus on her music, Monae’s film roles are also related to Black culture and struggle, as she appears in films such as “Hidden Figures” and “Moonlight”, the latter of which won an Oscar. Both of these films deal with intersectionality; “Hidden Figures” explores the experiences of Black women, and “Moonlight” explores being Black and gay. According to an essay by Daylanne K. English, “Monae has undertaken a musical, lyrical, visual, performative, and theoretical investigation into, and destabilization of, not only race and gender, but also sexuality, color, and class. She shows us new liberatory possibilities created by African American cultural production in concert with contemporary technological transformation: that is, neo-Afrofuturism.”(218) Through this, Monae has become one of the faces for contemporary Afrofuturism. Another example of Afrofuturism brought into the modern consciousness is the 2018 film “Black Panther”. The highly successful superhero action film portrays T’Challa, the king of a futuristic African kingdom called Wakanda. This movie places its Black cast as more advanced than the rest of society, and gives a futuristic imagining of Africa, which has usually been portrayed as being less developed, and “backward”. Instead of the expected portrayal of Black characters fighting the power, they are the power. The film was also praised for its depiction of strong and powerful Black female leads. According to an essay by Valerie Babb, “It was lauded for enabling youth previously excluded from superhero imaginings to see themselves as champions, for its diasporic inclusion, and for its Afrofuturist vision.”(Babb) “Black Panther” also confronted the historical realities of the Black community with the character of Erik Killmonger, who wanted to bring about the liberation of Black people with the technology of Wakanda. Thus, “Black Panther” successfully embodied the many aspects that Afrofuturism has to offer.

To conclude, understanding Afrofuturism only as a genre overlooks its significance as a political and cultural movement. Through its blending of avante garde sci-fi and social critique, Afrofuturism challenges historical narratives that marginalize Black experiences and denies Black people visibility in visions of the future. From Octavia Butler and Sun Ra to Janelle Monae and Black Panther, Afrofuturist artists and contributors have constructed imaginative frameworks that encourage new ways of viewing identity, technology, and liberation. In the decades since its inception, Afrofuturism has expanded into a global cultural force, inspiring people to reimagine systems of power and envision possibilities beyond their present reality. Ultimately, Afrofuturism demonstrates that imagining the future is a political act. It calls for a world in which Black existence is not an afterthought but a foundation upon which new futures can be built. Through its art, philosophy, and activism, Afrofuturism continues to shape how we understand freedom.

Sources: 

• Sekar, L., & V, S. (2025). Intersections of Race, Gender, and Faith: Ecological and Spiritual Posthumanism in the Afrofuturist Worlds of Octavia Butler. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 15(4), 1363–1369.
• Toussaint, E. C. (2025). AFROFUTURISM IN PROTEST: DISSENT AND REVOLUTION. Columbia Law Review, 125(5), 1375–1465.
• Crosby, S., & Tucker, T. (2022). “What Good is Science Fiction and Fantasy to Black People?”: Afrofuturism as Hope and Movement. CLA Journal, 65(1), 1–3.
• English, D. K., & Kim, A. (2013). Now We Want Our Funk Cut: Janelle Monáe’s Neo-Afrofuturism. American Studies (Lawrence), 52(4), 217–230.

Babb, V. (2020). The Past is Never Past: The Call and Response between Marvel’s Black Panther and Early Black Speculative Fiction. African American Review, 53(2), 95–109

https://brightspace.cuny.edu/d2l/common/viewFile.d2lfile/Database/NjQxODU5NjE/Rent%20collage?ou=920548

https://brightspace.cuny.edu/d2l/common/viewFile.d2lfile/Database/NjI4MDIyMjQ/Screen%20recording%202025-10-06%2012.19.47%20AM.webm?ou=920548

Inspired by the opera “La Boheme”, Jonathan Larson’s “Rent!”  is a lively rock musical which follows a year in the lives of a group of struggling artists in the East village as they navigate poverty, addiction, and the AIDS crisis. ‘Rent!’ was a defining show of the 1990s, which challenged the existing norms of Broadway. The themes and rebellious spirit of the show were powered on by one of the show’s most important aspects: music. ‘Rent!’ borrows from genres like rock, pop, and punk in order to capture the characters’ youth and rebellion. By using non-traditional genres of music, the show itself is also rebellious, challenging the norms of Broadway. This allows Rent to become a voice for the voiceless, and representation for marginalized and downtrodden demographics. 

 In order to fully appreciate how revolutionary “Rent” was, one must first understand the context in which the show was made, which was the East Village in the late 80s to early 90s. During this time, the East village was in a time of crisis, as it was ravaged by the AIDS epidemic, overrun by poverty, and neglected by the NYC government. It subsequently became a haven for the poor, queer, sick, addicted, and homeless; all people that society had cast aside. Entire communities lived in abandoned buildings, or set up tent cities in public parks like Tompkins Square park, but rather than addressing the issue by trying to help the homeless, the government instead tried to silence it by simply removing them. In 1991, police in riot gear cleared dozens of homeless people from the park to make way for renovations, in a move that critics saw as an attempt to hide the problem rather than solve it. According to a 1991 article published at the time, “Police gave the squatters and demonstrators about two hours to gather up their belongings and leave voluntarily. Some of the homeless just left the park, but about 8:30 a.m. police gave the final order to leave, and chanting demonstrators, banging on garbage cans and light poles, linked arms and marched out.” (UPI) The world was not friendly to this impoverished community, and opted to ignore them rather than help.

 At the same time, AIDS cases in New York City were exploding, especially among drug users, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community; groups with little access to healthcare or political power. According to the National Academies Press, “By March 1992, 37,952 cases of AIDS had been reported to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for the New York City metropolitan statistical area (MSA)—the five boroughs of New York City and the immediate suburban counties of Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester (Centers for Disease Control, 1992); the five boroughs account for more than 95 percent of the cases”. (National Academies Press) It was in this harsh environment that Rent was created. Jonathan Larson deliberately set the musical in the East Village, not to romanticize it, but to center those who mainstream theater and society at large had ignored. In Rent, the people of the East Village; artists, queer people, drag performers, addicts, and the terminally ill are not background figures or cautionary tales, they are the protagonists. The show demands that these lives be seen and celebrated. In doing so, Rent gave voice to a silenced minority and turned their struggles into a rebellious celebration of survival.

The music of ‘Rent!’ borrows heavily from the rock genre,which imbues the story and show with a rebellious spirit. The traditional Broadway musical up until this point had relied mostly on showtunes, and prior to Larson, rock had been largely out of the question. The use of rock in a Broadway show shook up established norms, and blatantly turned away from these old ideals. This is reflective of the story itself, which centers around provocative and rebellious young artists, who reject traditional societal norms. A prime example of this is in the song “La vie Boheme”, a celebratory anthem of defiance against societal norms. Sung by the show’s ensemble of struggling artists, outcasts, and misfits, the song serves to honor the unconventional lifestyles and identities that mainstream culture rejects. The song rapid-fire references everything from Langston Hughes, and The Sex Pistols, to sodomy, and marijuana. These are all people and things that in their time existed outside of the mainstream, and the song becomes a chaotic celebration of this nonconformity and individuality. The line “Actual Reality- Act UP- Fight AIDS!” is particularly powerful, as it references ACT UP, a group that dedicated themselves to fighting for better AIDS research and access to medication. This shows the musical’s willingness to tackle more taboo topics, and stand up for marginalized voices, most of whom were part of the queer community which is an already marginalized group. The youthfulness and rebellion of the show can be seen in this song’s bold and unapologetic tone which is filled with energy and passion, reflecting the perspective of young people of the time. By platforming these voices and lifestyles, the show itself becomes more than just a depiction of rebellion, it becomes the rebellion itself, breaking traditional theater conventions and propping up the voiceless.

Another song that captures Rent’s rebellious energy and youthful defiance is “Out Tonight,” performed by the character Mimi. The song is a bold declaration of freedom and resistance against societal constraints, as Mimi invites Roger to escape the confines of fear and routine and join her in embracing the chaos of the night. Lyrics like “Wanna hit the street? Wanna wail at the moon like a cat in heat?” shows her desire to live life unapologetically, despite the dangers that surround her. Mimi is a young woman battling addiction and living with HIV, but she refuses to be pitied or beaten down. She remains unfiltered. Through her, the musical gives voice to those like her, sex workers, addicts, and the working poor. These are groups that are often silenced or ignored. The energy of “Out Tonight” defies the sanitized norms of traditional musical theater, and instead celebrates the gritty but vibrant attitude and life of urban youth, who live life on their own terms. By centering a character like Mimi and allowing her to express herself through song, “Rent” creates a space for the voiceless and cements its place as a rebellious anthem for marginalized people.

To conclude, the music in “Rent” serves as a rallying cry for the voiceless, and channels a rebellious and youthful spirit that challenged societal norms of the time. Through songs like “La vie Boheme” and “Out Tonight,” the musical amplifies the voices of marginalized communities; those living with HIV, the poor, the queer, and the addicted, and empowers them to live unapologetically in the face of judgment and hardship. This spirit of defiance and celebration of authenticity made “Rent” more than just a musical, it made it a cultural movement that refused to conform and demanded that every voice be heard. 

Sources:

• La vie Boheme lyrics
• UPI
• National Academies Press