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Into the Multiverse Speculative Play Practice for the Future(s) of Higher Education

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Frankie Rubio

Catalina Pajarito

Nafisa Isa

Jessie Cheng

Fikayo Odugbemi

Ijeoma Njaka

Time: 1 min

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Today’s Agenda

What is Anti-racism?
What is Speculative Design?
How do the two intersect?
Warm-up: Mini Play Practice
Activity: Into to The Multiverse - Speculative Play Practice for the Future(s) of Higher Education
Debrief
Close

Time: 1 min

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Tatum’s Definition of Anti-Racism

Active Racism

moving intentionally in the direction of White supremacy

Bystander

does not consciously identify with White supremacy and racism, but has yet to make a more overt effort

Anti-Racism

actively working against White supremacy and racism and —quite literally—resisting our foundational context

Passive Racism

not intervening or making no overt effort while moving in the direction of White supremacy and racism

Time: 3 mins

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What is speculative design?

“We cannot work towards an improvement that we cannot imagine.”

-Elise Boulding

Time: 3 mins

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Speculative Design + Antiracism

Time: 3 mins

Why Speculative Design?

Imagining an anti-racist future: By employing these prompts, we can explore and imagine futures in which systemic racism, discrimination, and inequality have been eradicated. We can envision a society where people of all races and ethnicities are treated with fairness, respect, and equality. This exercise can help inspire actions and initiatives aimed at creating a more inclusive and anti-racist society.

Understanding the consequences of inaction: Utilizing these prompts can help us consider the potential outcomes if we fail to address and challenge racism. By imagining what the future might look like if we allow racism to persist, we can understand the urgency and importance of actively working towards anti-racism. This can motivate individuals and communities to take action in dismantling racist systems and promoting equity.

Challenging existing systems and narratives: Speculative visions can challenge and question the underlying assumptions, biases, and power structures that perpetuate racism. By imagining alternative futures where these systems are dismantled or reimagined, we can provoke critical thinking and encourage discussions around racial equity. This can contribute to the development of strategies and solutions that advance anti-racist initiatives.

Empathy and perspective-building: Speculative visions can help foster empathy and understanding by allowing us to explore the experiences and perspectives of marginalized communities. By using these prompts, we can imagine the lived realities of individuals affected by racism, which can deepen our empathy and motivate us to actively work towards dismantling racist systems and promoting justice.

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Speculative Prompts

What if….

[we lived in a carbon-neutral world]

If only…

[we could be at a university in Space]

If this goes on…

[humanity will reach a point where we coexist with nature in a way that allows nature to thrive]

Time: 2 mins

The typology of "What if...," "If only...," and "If this goes on..." is often associated with the science fiction author Isaac Asimov [Important to note that there is still some debate around who to credit for the development of this typology, Robert Heinlein for example is sometimes credited but Asimov is recognized as the earliest to signal this idea]. While he did not explicitly label these prompts as a typology, Asimov used similar thought experiments in his writing and discussions about the future. These prompts have become popular ways to explore speculative visions and analyze potential consequences in various fields, including science fiction, futurism, and scenario planning. Octavia butler for example employed this tool to envision possible futures for example, in her novel "Parable of the Sower," Butler uses the prompt to envision a future where societal collapse and environmental degradation have profound implications for humanity. This work, along with its sequel "Parable of the Talents," offers a thought-provoking exploration of a potential future shaped by the consequences of our actions in the present.

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Warm up - Mini Play Practice

Time: 5 mins

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Wakanda Landscape

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STEAM in Wakanda

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What is a Wakanda Village School?

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what about the world of Wakanda is speculative and different from our society and norms?

Reflect

Time: 2 mins

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Break into Groups

Time: 2 mins

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Choose your world

Time: 15 mins

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Activity

What if the university was exempt from (racism, grades, hierarchies, etc) what could it be? What would it feel like, look like, what would people do, etc? Create a visual that represents what you imagine.

What do you see in this university of the future? What's the daily experience like there? ...

What do different members of the campus community do, say, and hear?

How do they conduct themselves?

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Need to help get the juices flowing?

Maybe it’s a mission statement? Maybe it’s the vision of the people?

Maybe it’s what the university looks like?

Maybe it’s innovations that are built from the university?

Could it be a hero’s journey? Who is your hero and why?

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Reflect

What was your initial reaction when presented with the prompts and the opportunity to engage in speculative thinking?
Were there any moments of surprise or unexpected insights that emerged during the speculative session? If so, what were they and how did they impact your thinking?
What is your overall takeaway from today’s session?

Time: x mins

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“Are we creating the future we desire through what we do, how we are, and what we make?”

— unknown

Renwick Gallery

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We hope that the work we create is the planting of a seed. And most of the seeds we plant will have no impact beyond entertainment—if that. But one, perhaps one, might actually help change the world.

— Tananarive Due

from “The Only Lasting Truth: The Theme of Change in the Works of Octavia E. Butler” (2015).

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Teaching is a way of speaking faith over the future.

— Sarah Elizabeth Lewis

Lewis, S. E. (2020). The Vision and Justice Project. In K. Drew & J. Wortham (Eds.), Black Futures (pp. 358-361). One World.

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Thank You!