Cosmic Underground Northside An Incantation of Black Canadian Speculative Discourse and Innerstandings

Cosmic Underground Northside operates as a seminal collection consisting of works from cross-generations and pan-national Black creatives and cultural producers from Canada. This generous book offers a glimpse of different innerstandings, a profound comprehension or conviction within one’s spirit or soul. We consider the following: what does Afrofuturism look like from a Canadian perspective? What are the unique elements of artistic expression in Black Canadian art? Considering Canada's history on Indigenous land, how do Black Canadians imagine their future in a colony that promotes erasure, yet claims multiculturalism? So ah wah dis? Qu'est-ce que c'est? Kisa sa ye? Cosmic Underground Northside: An Incantation of Black Canadian Speculative Discourse and Innerstanding is an archival book comprised of diasporic dialogues around liberation and spirituality. Significant contributions of poems, lyrics, prose, short stories and other expressive forms of literature along with vibrant illustrations, photographs, posters, mixed-media digital and analog rendered artworks by over 100 talented, gifted Black Canadian scholars and creatives. This is who we are.

Quentin VerCetty is an award winning visual griot (storyteller) and art educator who knows no boundaries when it comes to his creative expression. His work builds off his Masters in Art Education thesis from Concordia University, exploring speculative narratives like Afrofuturism addressing issues of representation, immigration, decolonization and other social and environmental issues through public art. Quentin's work has been in numerous academic journals, magazines and a variety of publication including making contributions to the Cosmic Underground: A Grimoire of Black Speculative Discontent. Along being his artistry has showcased in countries on every continent from Haiti, Peru, Ghana, Australia, United Arab Empire and France to name a few. His passion for artivism, using art as a tool for social change, lead to launching the Canadian chapter of the Black Speculative Arts Movement (BSAMCanada) in 2016 and has since then continued to spread it across the nation. Through his work he hopes to engage minds and inspire hearts to help to make the world a better place not only for today but for many tomorrows to come.

Dr. Audrey Hudson is an artist, educator, researcher and futurist. Audrey manages school and teacher programs at the Art Gallery of Ontario and teaches at OCAD University. She holds a PhD from University of Toronto/Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (UT/OISE). Most recently, Dr. Hudson co-edited a groundbreaking text entitled, In This Together: Blackness, Indigeneity and Hip-Hop, with a chapter, entitled, All eyes on Hip Hop: Afrofuturism and Indigenous Futurities. Chapters and articles include: Where We @?: Blackness, Indigeneity and Hip-Hop's Expression of Creative Resistance (co-authored); Here We Are On Turtle Island: Navigating Places, Spaces and Terrain; and Integrating Black lives into education: Black Lives Matter Freedom School. Hudson believes the arts are a way to bring rich knowledge and voices of young people into spaces to discuss education, colonization, race, and relationship building between Black and Indigenous communities. Dr. Hudson developed and taught the first course in Canada on the influence Hip-Hop has on design, entitled Hip-Hop & Convergence Culture at OCAD University. Hudson also co-developed and taught a graduate studies course at UT/OISE entitled, Desire and Change: Difficult Dialogues in Art and Art Education. This book on Cosmic Underground Northside merges Audrey's passion for art, social change and voicing astounding creative Black intellect.