Coming of age in a very creative household, Freelon was raised by a village of artists and activists. Black to the Future is the result of that influence. The family-friendly album is inspired by Afrofuturism and shares elements of hip-hop, funk, soul, and more! In the track “LeVar Burton”, Freelon highlights Burton’s career through his social justice activism, his work on Reading Rainbow and literary advocacy, and empowering roles as Geordi LaForge on TNG and Kunta Kinte in the television miniseries Roots. Freelon’s song also includes a special mention of Nichelle Nichols and her character Lieutenant Uhura’s groundbreaking impact for women and the Black community.
Black to the Future is truly multigenerational. Each track on the album includes audio, both spoken and sung, across four generations of Freelon’s family. Also included is archival audio of his father, the late,…