ABSTRACT This afterword examines the paradoxical nature of Black anti‐bodies, as highlighted by Dána‐Ain Davis's insightful opening call. It discusses how timely responses in this collection provide valuable frameworks for understanding what I call Black ante‐anti‐bodies, with the hyphens serving as essential analytical tools to complicate the relationship between Afro‐pessimism and Afro‐futurism. This approach encourages a Black feminist praxis that effectively navigates the complexities of objectification and subjugation while also emphasizing the potential for joy and resilience. Ultimately, this afterword advocates for an ontology of Blackness that remains open to possibility, revealing its dynamic and richly layered realities.
P. Sean Brotherton (2025) studied this question.