Afrofuturist author Denise Crittendon is celebrating the beauty of Black women through her latest work “Where It Rains In Color.”
In an interview with CapRadio, Crittendon opened up about her inspirations for the highly praised Afrofuturism work.
The journalist shared that a break from her job as a reporter with the Detroit News provided her an unexpected path into her creative process for the book.
“I spent a year in Zimbabwe under a fellowship sponsored by the Rotary Foundation, so I took a year off from the Detroit News, where I was a reporter,” she said. “I didn’t realize how much it would inspire my imagination.”
“Various elements of Africa influenced the book, such as the trances that inhabitants go through to connect with their ancestors, the beautiful, exotic Jacaranda trees, and the women in Africa who carry on the tradition of ululating and chanting.”
Crittendon added that other influences for the book included her attendance at a melanin lecture in Detroit where she learned about the continued marginalization of Black women.
When it comes to the impact of the novel, Crittendon specifically aims to rework many of the beauty standards faced by Black women.
“In the book, melanin is something that is admired all over the galaxy,” Crittendon said. “[Main character] Lileala’s shimmering skin is revered because she is dark — that is the Afrofuturist aspect of this novel that I hope lifts Black women up to a greater glory.”
Crittendon views the Afrofuturism genre as a means to drive new conversations around the topic.
“The novel is categorized as science fiction/fantasy, but it is really Afrofuturism,” she said “When you write in the Afrofuturist genre, you look at our past and present to project ahead to the future for something more beautiful.”
Along with working as a reporter for the Detroit News, Crittendon has also worked as a reporter for the The Kansas City Star and is the former editor-in-chief of the NAACP’s national magazine, The Crisis.