The Afrofuturist Summer Book Series: Jordan "JP" Jackson and Lawrence Brown

Dr. Lawrence Brown will join us to explore independent Black speculative fiction projects in our new summer series! He will talk with three authors about their novels, screenplays, and comic books that imaginatively explore Black futures and alter destinies. Their quirky and creative visions are situated in Baltimore and the DMV. Their works leap beyond our collective calamity to forge future flourishing.

The August edition will feature Jordan "JP" Jackson and his E.V.E of Insurrection and Growin' in the Garden comic books-- as well as Journey and the Abolition Democracy, a comic book by Lawrence Brown that Jackson illustrated. Each set in a future world, these comics take on themes of Black History, empowerment, and fighting corruption, each with its own lighthearted and creative approach.

In The E.V.E of Insurrection, Lana Baker, a corporate controller, empowers oppressed communities and assumes a double life as the Shadow Queen, in a massive futuristic bunker city.

In Growin' in the Garden, Gerald, Gaia, and B4ldw1n learn and solve problems in the Underground.

In Journey and the Abolition Democracy, 15-year-old Journey Olamina narrates Black history...from the future! Journey lives in Baltimore in the year 2064 and attends a public school named Ethel Ennis High School.

Join us on the Ivy patio for a whimsical and imaginative conversation!

Comics will be available for sale at the event.

Jordan P Jackson is an interdisciplinary artist, comic book writer, and educator from Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from MICA in 2016 with a BFA in Animation and is a current adjunct professor for the Animation+Media Arts program. Jordan founded JP Jackson Art, a production company that empowers intersectional storytelling through comics and animation. JP Jackson Art was born out of the necessity to empower artists and storytellers, elevate inclusive stories, and bring a cinematic quality to the comic experience. He began vending at comic conventions and networking with other independent creators in 2019. He has successfully published 4 graphic novels since 2021, including his series The E.V.E of Insurrection (2021), The E.V.E of Reclamation (2022), and Growin’ in the Garden: Saving a Soft Soul (2023). His illustrations and artwork have transformed the brands of Ancient Illumination and Jericho's Bane, bringing them into the world of independent comics and animation. He is the artist behind science fiction graphic novels, Ancient Illumination, Jericho's Bane: The Rift, Sammy Saver vs. The Spend Thrift, Journey, and The Abolition Democracy.

Lawrence T. Brown is a game designer, curator, scholar, and urban Afrofuturist. Dr. Brown is the author of The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America. He works as a research scientist in the Center for Urban Health Equity at Morgan State University. Additionally, he is the founder and director of the Black Butterfly Academy LLC, an educational consulting firm which creates hands-on learning tools and hosts Dream Lab workshops. The Academy partners with K-12 schools in Baltimore to install and display history exhibits. Dr. Brown created the board game Urban Cipher and the Black Butterfly Dream Lab Kit. Both help unpack how governments created urban apartheid by design. Overall, this body of work reveals how we can build an equitable cities and make Black neighborhoods matter.

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