This article centers two fabric assemblage pieces the author created in response to the Black Lives Matter protests of the summer 2020.

Video recording featuring guest panelists, Stephanie A. Johnson-Cunningham, and Kelli Morgan, Ph.D., this third installment of the 2044 series frames Afrofuturism and futurist thinking in museum practice to examine the roles museums play in maintaining and recreating anti-blackness and white supremacy. Panelists discuss how museum educators and curators can practice anti-racist pedagogy and thinking. Racist and colonial practices of museums need greater racial equity and recognition. Through the use of visual imagery, Afrofuturism as a framework may be a viable strategy for community building, imagination, and expression. Recognizing that museums are rooted in white colonial narratives that have been and continue to be oppressive to Black and people of color, museums can amplify Black experiences and narratives while pointing out the need for systemic change in the sector. From the periphery of colonial violence and commodification to the centrality of visibility and recognition, museum education can provide opportunities to “analyze how racism shapes how we view, discuss, create, and engage multiple audiences within the museums.”

Work of art in Illustrated map, inkjet print by artist Maria Villanueva as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Legend Systems: An Escape to a Hidden Land, ” in the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building Atrium on the campus of the University of North Texas on March 1-5, 2021. MFA Exhibition, view from the stairs in the atrium.

Work of art in Soils, plastic bags, labels by artist Maria Villanueva as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Legend Systems: An Escape to a Hidden Land, ” in the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building Atrium on the campus of the University of North Texas on March 1-5, 2021. MFA Exhibition, view from the stairs in the atrium.

Work of art in Collection of rocks and faux crystals by artist Maria Villanueva as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Legend Systems: An Escape to a Hidden Land, ” in the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building Atrium on the campus of the University of North Texas on March 1-5, 2021. MFA Exhibition, view from the stairs in the atrium.

Work of art in Paper, bird feather, plastic bag, tree leaves by artist Maria Villanueva as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Legend Systems: An Escape to a Hidden Land, ” in the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building Atrium on the campus of the University of North Texas on March 1-5, 2021. MFA Exhibition, view from the stairs in the atrium.

Work of art in illustrated maps, inkjet prints by artist Maria Villanueva as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Legend Systems: An Escape to a Hidden Land, ” in the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building Atrium on the campus of the University of North Texas on March 1-5, 2021. MFA Exhibition, view from the stairs in the atrium.

Work of art in Tree branches and sticks, twine, by artist Maria Villanueva as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Legend Systems: An Escape to a Hidden Land, ” in the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building Atrium on the campus of the University of North Texas on March 1-5, 2021. MFA Exhibition, view from the stairs in the atrium.

Work of art in Journal entries, printed maps by artist Maria Villanueva as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Legend Systems: An Escape to a Hidden Land, ” in the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building Atrium on the campus of the University of North Texas on March 1-5, 2021. MFA Exhibition, view from the stairs in the atrium.