This paper explores the historical context and current state of diversity within the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) system, emphasizing the challenges and complexities faced in achieving racial and socioeconomic integration. Tracing the evolution of APS from the post-Brown era to the present day, we analyze the impact of historical events, legal decisions, and demographic shifts on the composition of the student body. Recognizing the limitations imposed by current legal landscapes that restrict the explicit use of race as a central factor in diversity initiatives, we propose a set of race-neutral strategies to promote a more inclusive and equitable educational environment.

This study examines predictive value of Afrofuturism as a means of recognizing and subsequently disrupting the orientations of power that simultaneously operate in the real world. The Billionaire Space Race is a key example of this, and I assert that the mission statement of these corporations—to live amongst stars—is not a step forward for mankind as it is represented, but instead is the ultimate neocolonial evolution of capitalism, one that would rely on the continued exploitation of labor of marginalized people. Can Afrofuturism save the future? Seminal texts in the genre suggest alternative modes of living and being that posit a more ethical and empathetic means of entering the space ways, ones that don’t privilege profit over people.