AfroAtlantic

AfroAtlantic is a term used to describe the interconnected cultural, historical, and social space that links Africa, the Atlantic world of the Americas and the Caribbean, and the diasporic communities formed through transatlantic migration. It emphasizes the long history of exchange across the Atlantic, including forced migration, trade, migration during emancipation, and contemporary globalization.

In academic discourse, AfroAtlantic functions as an analytic framework for history, anthropology, literature, art history, musicology, and area studies. It invites comparison of experiences and identities across continents and highlights shared routes of influence in language, religion, music, cuisine, and political ideas. In museum, library, and digital contexts, AfroAtlantic informs exhibitions, archives, and research projects that present cross-Atlantic connections rather than national or singular narratives.

Culturally, the term underlines how African diasporic cultures have shaped and been shaped by the Atlantic world. It is used to explore diasporic genres in music and performance, visual arts that cross Atlantic imaginations, and literary forms that traverse African and American literary traditions. Contemporary scholars and artists often employ the AfroAtlantic lens to address questions of memory, restitution, identity, and transnational belonging.

Notable initiatives adopting the AfroAtlantic framework include comparative histories, archival digitization, and interdisciplinary exhibitions and programs that span multiple countries and disciplines. The vocabulary serves as a way to articulate long histories of connection beyond regional or national boundaries.