AstroSankofa and the Final Frontier: Reclaiming who gets to be seen in sci-fi
- Koko Nwasike
From left to right: Ronnie Rowe Jr., Dorothy A. Atabong, Jamera Dacosta and Quentin VerCetty
Who gets to be seen in stories about the future? That’s just one of the questions raised at a special Black History Month event hosted by AstroSankofa Arts Initiatives. Beyond Uhura: A Conversation on Star Trek, Afrofuturism & Representation took place inside Toronto’s Jane Finch Mall and featured two Canadian Star Trek actors: Ronnie Rowe Jr. and Dorothy A. Atabong. Rowe plays R.A. Bryce, a Starfleet communications officer on Star Trek: Discovery, and Atabong plays L’vanna on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Both actors spoke to an enthusiastic crowd about how Afrofuturism can inspire people today.
Lt. Nyota Uhura from Star Trek: The Original Series was honoured during the event. The role was played by Nichelle Nichols, an actor whose influence extended far beyond her time on television. As the original Star Trek communications officer, an influential role for its time, Nichols helped shape what Black representation could look like in future iterations of the series.
A prior interview with Nichelle Nichols alongside a life-size cut out of the actress as Lt. Nyota Uhura
“Uhura represents freedom; not letting people put you in a box, and still accomplishing your purpose,” said Quentin VerCetty, who is AstroSankofa’s executive director. “The conversation was meant to look beyond the characters and ask what’s possible in real life. Canada has never produced a Black astronaut, so why couldn’t the first be from Jane and Finch?”
Ronnie Rowe Jr. tied that “why not?” question to his own experience. “Representation is permission and imagination,” said Rowe, who grew up in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood. “When you see someone who looks like you, you believe you can do it too.” He shared with the audience that positive Black representation pushes back on one-note depictions.
The audience also learned about another, lesser-known Canadian actor with roots in Star Trek. Percy Rodrigues, who was born in Montreal, appeared as a key authority figure on Star Trek: The Original Series in 1967 as Commodore Stone. At a time when Black authority figures on mainstream television were rare, if not nonexistent, his role stood out as a sign of what could be in the future.
VerCetty emphasized, “in a community like Jane and Finch, the goal was not just to celebrate sci-fi. It was to connect imagination to real ambition and give young people the confidence to aim higher.”
AstroSankofa team member Jamera Dacosta (left) and Quentin VerCetty (right) addressing the audience
AstroSankofa showed everyone in the room that representation has been fought for, built over time and still has a way to go. But they did not stop at the message. They are turning inspiration into action with SCULPTFLEET, a Star Trek-inspired sculpting workshop where youth get to build, create and bring big ideas to life with their own hands.
Interested in signing up for SCULPFLEET? Check out the poster below and scan the QR code to register today.
About the organization
AstroSankofa Arts Initiative
AstroSankofa Arts Initiatives builds on the groundbreaking vision of interstellar artivist Quentin VerCetty, who created Carnegie Hall’s first-ever commissioned art piece in 2021. Our initiatives seek to create more opportunities for Black creatives and youth engaged in Black science and speculative fiction with a unique approach that encompasses the five dimensions of Afrofuturism: metaphysics, aesthetics, sciences, social science, and programmatic spaces.
Project team:
Dayo Kefentse – Managing Director
Curtis Hannam – Project Coordinator
Sabrina Ramroop – Communications Specialist
Koko Nwasike – Writer
