Open

We light this chalice to spark our imagination for what could be. May we build a future where love is at the center of everything we do.

You will need a chalice and a LED tea light. Say the chalice lighting words or perhaps write down and have a child read them.

Read

This is Your Night (YouTube) by Abdul-Razak Zachariah (5:49)

Before reading the book invite the children to look at the pictures and ask them some of the following questions:

• How do you think the people in this book feel?

• What are they doing?

• What do you think it sounds like in this book?

• Would you want to be a character in this book?

• Do you think this book takes place now or in the future?

Watch

• Talk with children about how the future is envisioned in Black Panther and why Black Panther was so important. (watch ""Black Panther” Is Bringing Afrofuturism Into The Mainstream" (YouTube)  if you need language and/or a background primer in Afro-futurism)

• Watch the video “Sci-Fi Digital Series “Afrofuturism” Star Trek's Uhura Part 2 | DUST" (YouTube) (2:01) with the children. Discuss with them who they want to see represented in the future and how they would like people with various identities represented in the future.

Do

• Create a vision of a future where everyone is free and has what they need.

• Work together to create a collage of what Beloved Community might look like. Before starting the collage, consider filling out this graphic organizer.

  • You will need glue, scissors, a piece of chart paper or butcher paper and old magazines.

  • It is helpful to have some pictures from magazines generally pre-cut.

  • To make this activity more accessible you may want to have an assistant facilitator cutting for children if they request it.

  • While the hope is that children can create a collective vision for the future, it is also okay for children to work individually and add their collages together at the end. You can ask the children to complete the graphic organizer together or have them do it individually. Then, once they have some ideas, you can let them work together to create a future where we live in Beloved Community.

Close

#1053 How Could Anyone (with Rev Kimberley intro) (YouTube) (1:44)

Close by inviting people into a circle and ask each person to share an appreciation of someone else in the room. Model it by sharing your own appreciation.

Then invite everyone to sing Hymn # 1053 How Could Anyone

Take Home

Wanda’s Roses By Pat Brisson and Story Time with Ms. Loewen (YouTube, 11:05)

Children can take home their graphic organizers and discuss their vision for the future with their parents/caregivers. If you send out a weekly email to parents/caregivers, you might ask them to talk with their children about the future they imagine.

You may want to share this video about Afrofuturism with parents.