SPACE IS THE PLACE

 The reading that I will be writing about is Anthony Reed’s, “Sun Ra and the Grammar of Utopia” in which John Coney and Sun Ra present a film with “afrosurreal expressionism” and Egyptian imagery with the future and outer space. The reading covers different ideas dealing with space and how it could serve as an alternative to the cruel world on Earth. Space represents “something other than seizing ‘space-age’ ideals”, Egypt represents a past that was idealized due to their power, and Grammar refers to the combination of all of Sun Ra’s styles that were mixed together, his unique way of writing characters, and the complicated way in which he communicates.

What is interesting about “Sun Ra and the Grammar of Utopia” is that they have chosen space as a place of possible sanctuary from our messed up society especially during the time in which “Space is the Place” was made. But it makes sense in correlation with the social change that was taking place during the time. The Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panthers were prominent during the time, and the growth of these movements opened the doors to discussion leading to change. I really saw a connection with this spreading of knowledge when Sun Ra went to visit the recreation center where he told the young black people in the room that they basically do not have anything to lose because the government and most of society see them as “nothing” or “nobody”. The dehumanization of black people within “Space is the Place” that correlates with how they have been treated up to today, goes to show the necessity for action within our country now just as much as they should in the future.