Futures [Not] Imagined, They [Will Not] See Us,
Faces With[Out] Features, We [Do Not] Exist

A multifaceted, interdisciplinary project that critically examines the intricate relationship between Black identity, visibility, and existence within the digital age. This initiative challenges the pervasive invisibility and misrepresentation of Black communities in technological spaces, prompting a profound interrogation of how digital tools and platforms can perpetuate, reinforce, and even reimagine existing societal biases. The project explores the paradoxical nature of Black existence in a digital world that simultaneously amplifies and erases, connects and isolates.

Additional work related to this project is available in the shop.

"Echoes of Code and Essence" Zine Workbook

Through a series of thought-provoking prompts, creative exercises, and insightful commentary, "Echoes of Code and Essence" encourages individuals to explore the multifaceted dimensions of their own digital identity. A smaller digital version is available as well.

"Existence Beyond Code" Exhibition

Featuring a series of AI-generated portraits of Black individuals, "Existence Beyond Code" challenges viewers to question the very nature of identity, visibility, and representation in a world increasingly mediated by algorithms. Opening at the Maryland Center for History and Culture in Dec. 2024, and presented in community with The Chicory Project.

"Existence Beyond Code" Exhibition catalogue

Printed guide for the “Existence Beyond Code” exhibit featuring additional content, thematic glossary, exhibit images, and more.

Mini-Zines

Each zine delves into a particular aspect of the digital landscape, offering insights into topics such as digital trauma, online identity curation, and algorithmic bias.

"Disembodied Reflections" Chapbook

A diverse collection of creative works that explore the complexities of Black identity in the digital age. Featuring poetry, prose, experimental writing, and alternate versions of the mini-zines. Available now.

untitled augmented reality project

An interactive journey of the shadow self in the machine. Coming in 2025.

digital existence news ticker

This digital meditation cycles through headlines exploring the intersection of Black futurity and artificial intelligence. The headlines span from community empowerment initiatives (like AI models trained on generational wisdom) to digital marronage strategies (including data corruption as resistance), while addressing concerns about surveillance, cultural appropriation, and algorithmic bias.

Black developers create AI model trained on griot oral histories and ancestral knowledge /// Digital maroon communities encrypt safe spaces beyond algorithmic surveillance /// Data corruption emerges as new form of digital resistance against biased systems /// Diaspora networks develop sovereign AI trained on Black cultural archives /// Community elders guide ethical frameworks for Black AI development /// Digital griots encode generational wisdom into neural networks /// Black technologists create AI models that honor sacred community boundaries /// Autonomous zones emerge in digital spaces through cryptographic protection /// Cultural stewards develop AI guardians against digital colonization /// Digital quilting codes weave protection through surveillance networks /// Black futures archive preserves community knowledge beyond corporate control /// AI system learns from Black maternal health traditions /// Digital underground railroad routes data through safe network passages /// Melanated metadata reshapes facial recognition algorithms /// Community blockchain preserves unfiltered histories of resistance /// AI trained on Black joy counters biased pattern recognition /// Digital grounding rituals protect virtual Black spaces /// Quantum encryption shields Black cultural data from exploitation /// Code switchers develop AI that speaks in cultural frequencies /// Digital conjurers transform surveillance into site of power /// Black futurist collectives reclaim algorithmic territories /// AI trained on movement histories learns patterns of resistance /// Digital sanctuaries preserve Black consciousness beyond the cloud /// Neural networks learn from Black spatial practices of freedom /// Community data cooperatives protect collective digital rights /// Black cyber theologians encode spiritual resistance into AI /// Digital healing circles process trauma beyond algorithmic understanding /// AI archivists preserve endangered Black digital cultures /// Code becomes conductor on digital underground railroad /// Black data sovereignty movement creates independent networks ///