#space traders

[retrocgads]

UK 1982

[startrekprodigyfan]

As a Star Trek fan, I don’t want a war game where you go around flying military style space ships killing everyone and having dangerous encounters.

I want a Trek equivalent of Space Traders for the Palm Pilot.

I wanna deck out my ship’s features via DnD style skill points, manage resources as I warp from system to system helping colonists survive with food and grain, negotiate trade deals and make peaceful resolutions, and be free to study alien planets and collect science data!

And if there IS a space battle, I want it to be turn based and simple. Lasting only a few turns at most and being more about strategy and resource management than about brute force.

I don’t want to be in a war, or have universal threats every 5 minutes. I wanna study QUASARS!

[blackfilm]

Space Traders

“Extraterrestrials arrive on Earth and offer to the United States gold, safe nuclear power and other technological advances, in exchange for the government handing over of all black US citizens. The story posits that the people and political establishment of the U.S. would make such a transaction and pass a referendum to enable it.” via 

more info on the book

a PDF of Space Traders

[summamurda]

Cosmic Slop (1994) space traders

Science Fiction as relevant today as it was when it first aired!

[ahorrorintime]

My Analysis of "Space Traders"

The “Space Traders” segment in Cosmic Slop, directed by Reginald Hudlin and Warrington Hudlin, was unlike any other short film that I have ever seen. The short film has left a lasting impression on me to this day, ever since I saw it over a month ago. The premise of the short film was intriguing and troubling, as it posed the question of whether Americans would send Black people to space in exchange for supposed riches and prosperity. During much of the movie, I felt both curious and disheartened, knowing that a majority of the people would vote to send Black people to space, but I couldn’t help but hold out the tiniest bit of hope that a vote of no would be reached. 

This film touched upon many crucial issues that are prominent in America today, such as commercial exploitation of Black people, racism, colorism, and interest convergence theory. It was absolutely infuriating to watch people blatantly discuss sending Black Americans to space, how many believe it would be beneficial for society, completely disregarding their opinions, thoughts, and feelings about being forced into space. The way they talked about Black Americans in terms of numbers and relation to what they contribute to society or to consumerism was also sickening. Hearing them talk about how they make up lard liquor percentages, shoe sales, cigarettes, and petrol like that was their only value and contribution to society was infuriating. Colorism was also a predominant conversation as the aliens declared the specific percentage of melanin that they consider to be Black, with many light-skinned Black people, such as Golightly’s wife, buying whitening soap to try and make her kids look whiter. At the end of the movie, Golightly’s wife is also forced to stay behind while her whole family is forced to be taken onto the ships because she is light-skinned and, therefore, passed. Interference convergence theory was depicted in this short film with the Jewish characters who ally themselves with Black Americans in fighting the referendum, and the point is made that the Jewish characters are only helping them because they do not want to be considered last on the social ladder. It was also shown with the corporate leaders who wanted to have people vote no on the referendum purely because they were profiting off of Black Americans with their consumerism. 

I thought it was interesting to see Golightly try to utilize reverse racism by attempting to spread the message to convince people that the aliens are going to send them to a utopia that would be filled with luxury and riches that the human world does not contain. When hearing this rumor, white people would claim that it was racist that Black Americans were being sent there, saying it was unconstitutional discrimination against whites. Although this reaction would seem outlandish, I believe that an aspect or similar reaction would occur if Black or brown people were suddenly given access to better opportunities that white people do not have. An example of this is seen in colleges, with white people saying that colleges are favoring and biasing Black and Brown students over white students. 

When it was revealed at the end of the referendum voting that it had passed with 63% of the vote, it was shocking yet unsurprising. I figured that people would end up passing the referendum, but for it to be by such a big margin was maddening. People’s true color was shown with this referendum, not caring about how it would affect Black Americans, only thinking about how they could benefit. Watching the newscaster break the news as he realizes he is affected by this referendum and must make his last public goodbye is heartbreaking. Seeing the newscaster be so swiftly replaced by a white man who begins his message by saying that they welcome a new era of American peace and prosperity is so jarring in comparison to the Black newscaster who gave his life and all to the job only to be replaced as though he were nothing. 

This short film was deeply impactful. In today’s political and social climate, this short film feels highly relevant and serves as a cautionary tale of how quickly people turn against Black individuals when it is convenient or beneficial to them.

[afrofuturistaffair]

A 1992 Speculative, Critical Race Tale Brings Up Relevant Questions in Current Times 

“The Space Traders,” a short science fiction story by late law professor and civil rights activist Derrick Bell, imagines a day in the year 2000 when thousands of ships carrying an advanced alien race arrive in America. The aliens offer clean nuclear energy, technology, bail-outs for all the banks, and other benefits, in exchange for only one thing – to take all African-Americans back to the aliens’ home star. “Space Traders” first appeared in Bell’s 1992 best-selling collection, “Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism,” a book of essays and short stories exploring the persistence of racism in America. The short story was adapted for television in 1994 by Trey Ellis and Reginald Hudlin for an episode of Cosmic Slop, a three-part HBO anthology series highlighting POC-centered science fiction. Described by Ellis as “a sort of Afro-Twilight Zone,” the episode was even introduced by P-Funk front man George Clinton. 

- See more at Blerds @ Atlanta BlackStar 

[hastenthesingularity]

Space Traders

[afrospain-blog]

En estos tiempos que corren el mundo se nos queda pequeño y ¿por que no dirigirnos hacia algún otro lado del universo?

Hoy vi este corto de media hora BRUTAL titulado "SPACE TRADERS" (Comerciantes Espaciales) esta en versión original así que todos los Hermanos que necesitéis aprender ingles esta es otra buena ocasión.

Los Alienigenas llegan a la tierra con una demanda la cual es llevarse a todos los humanos con un porcentaje minimo de melanina, es decir a los Negros, a cambio de esto, ellos entregarían oro y tecnologías para limpiar la tierra... el resto lo tenéis que ver.

ONE LOVE