Space is the Place – Who is Sun Ra?

I was intrigued by all the wildly interesting, detailed, yet also mysterious/vague elements of this afrofuturistic film, however I also had some trouble with the confusing back and forth of some of these features, which made me try to analyze who/what Sun Ra represents.Right off the bat, Sun Ra makes claims that do not seem to make much sense, such as saying that he wasn’t truly real (nor is anyone else) and that he was not even born, rather he merely appeared on Earth as a representative from another planet. He seems to be full of half-formed ideas and concepts that challenge all aspects of society and what people expect from him.  Even his music escapes “normal” bounds and pushes us to understand who he is from a different perspective, one that transcends the musical and social dynamics at the time. The “alter-destiny” he continues to mention seems to encompass a Black-power rhetoric as he continuously those who try to oppose him.