By Allison MacIntyre, Naod Daniel, Robert LaDuca Madelyn Perry, and Nia Jones
In comparing the missions of Dr. Joy Buolamwini, poet, computer scientist, and founder of the Algorithmic Justice League (a non-profit devoted to uncovering and preventing racial and gender bias in AI systems) and Jodahs, the first construct ooloi to exist in Octavia Butler’s Imago, it is undeniable that the two are advocating for a population that extends beyond themselves. But as Buolamwini remarks, it is hard to abandon the hope that “someone else will take care of the problem” (Buolamwini 11), especially when big corporations profit off instilling this mindset in consumers. Customers justify, for instance, unsustainable consumption under the fallacy that they are just one person, and therefore feel powerless to change their practices and overarching culture of materialistic values. In other words, they and we often forget about the scale of our actions. However, as Jodah’s frustration in not being listened to as the first and initially only member of its kind illuminates, there is rarely someone who can advocate as effectively for us as we can for ourselves. Jodah’s unrelenting demand to be listened to and validated as the first member of its people makes it abundantly clear that groups who advocate are only as effective as the individuals working within them.
The book, [Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon] written almost half a century before my experience, interrogates the complexities of conforming oneself—putting on a mask to fit the norms or expectations of a dominant culture.” (Buolamwini xv) Buolamwini’s impenetrable introduction explains this concern perfectly. The Oankali speak and express their ideas in a colonial mindset where they are quick to critique the remaining humans’ previous cultures in an attempt to assimilate them to a new, unfamiliar form of life. “No. It will be done our [Oankali] way. Not yours.” (Butler 82) In Dawn, the Oankali reiterate the importance of gene trading; how important it is for them to live and evolve as an extraterrestrial species. As Beth says, “genebreeding/trading is as essential for them as it is for humans to breathe.” Dawn is an introduction to a new world with new leaders who have different plans for what humanity can eventually grow to be, if they—the remaining members of humanity—choose it. The Oankali are giving the humans a chance—an opportunity, really—to start over with a life where the factors of hierarchy will not result in their species demise. “We’re not hierarchical, you see. We never were. But we are powerfully acquisitive. We acquire new life—seek it, investigate it, manipulate it, sort it, use it. We carry the drive to do this in a minuscule cell within a cell—a tiny organelle within every cell of our bodies.” (Butler 43) Throughout the trilogy, the Oankali act as saviors of the human race and the curators of a new Earth where human resisters and Oankali constructs attempt to coexist with an unfamiliar post-war world. Although the resisters and Oankali communities are separated, the Oankali lead a dominant culture on Earth as the only species that can reproduce, as the humans remain sterile in their resistor communities.
There is an ongoing theme throughout the Xenogenesis trilogy, where each character—Lilith, Akin, or Jodahs—have had their voices diminished and unheard by beings of a higher authority. The only difference being their audience and the substance of their argument—the response, unfortunately, usually remained the same, as their words of advocacy and encouragement against a larger, oppressive system were often met with violence and scrutiny. The same struggles we’ve analyzed in the trilogy have also proved relevant in our reality. For example, Buolamwini outlines an example of this struggle in her book Unmasking AI. In 2021 leading up to the Olympics there was discourse over Simone Biles, a decorated olympian and her decision to not participate in many of the events. Simone Biles refused to compete in her events for a plethora of reasons. During the time there was a lot of advocacy for mistreated gymnasts who had suffered from sexual abuse, as well as her own personal fear of injuring herself while suffering from the “twisties”, a common mental-block experienced by gymnasts. Although many publicly called out Biles’ and called her selfish, Biles stayed true to herself and sent the message that she was in charge of herself, and would not let anyone else tell her when she should and shouldn’t compete. Buolamwini was inspired by this move and saw Biles as a pioneer to black women demonstrating that it’s okay to say “no” sometimes. Buolamwini writes “The Biles’ Refusal” is a beautiful reminder of the power of saying yes to your well-being… Putting yourself above the weight of gold is awe inspiring for me to see especially as a young Black woman. We know that when we say no, it disrupts expectations that we should be meek and grateful to have opportunities to shine on the world stage… The old order is crumbling because after enduring a pandemic, continuously experiencing in-justice no matter the level of success, and embracing their inherent dignity no accolades required, queens like you are embracing refusal” (Buolamwini 238). Buolamwini praised this move as she saw Biles as a successful, black woman pioneering prioritizing self-love and self-advocacy. Although many people expected things from her, Biles chose to put herself first and refrained from overloading herself and putting her body at risk.
The underlying and diminishing standards of what is considered to be beautiful has daunted the self worth and confidence of individuals who do not align within these means. Conflicts regarding this topic have been presented in the Xenogenesis trilogy as well as in Buolamwini’s novel, Unmasking AI. Neurofibromatosis is a common disease that large amounts of the colony share in the trilogy. This disease causes tumors to begin to develop on the skin and nerves of the body, which can vary in size and shape. Whilst the majority of the colony deals with this disease, hatred is congregated among these individuals. Traditional beauty standards are demonstrated in Buolamwini’s book. These can vary among different cultures but typically resonate around pale skin, straight hair, higher nose bridge, and light eyes. Standards like these are considered to be Eurocentric features. Industries such as skin care, modeling, and makeup have created a bias towards individuals who fall into this degree. Buolamwini describes,“the representation of beauty overall was heavily Eurocentric, and search engine results for terms like “beautiful skin,” “beautiful face,” and “beautiful woman” revealed and amplified this beauty bias.” She persistently describes how industries have overlooked individuals that do not possess these eurocentric characteristics and how they are viewed as less. Skin care companies whose mission is to ‘advocate’ for people with acne and blemishes still use a warped sense of beauty against people of color by disregarding inclusivity in advertisements. This bias can create a pressure for people to alter their natural appearances to fit unrealistic standards, which ties back into the trilogy surrounding the idea of discrimination based on appearance.
Butler sets up a scene where Akin is advocating for a human settlement to an Akjai. The Akjai points out Akin’s internal desire and biological need for a mate so he can follow proper Oankali development, but the fate of the resistors is what primarily drives the conversation on Akin’s side. Akin is standing up for people who have no say in the decision to lose their entire race and planet to the Oankali. The Akjai acknowledges this and promises to bring Akin’s concerns to the other Oankali. The proposed alternative to the extinction of the resistors is to terraform Mars and relocate them there. As we move deeper into the book—and into the third installment of the trilogy—we see that Akin’s advocacy was successful, as plans for the Mars settlement are underway. “I don’t think I could stand to share an ooloi with it… Then come to me and I’ll find new teachers for you — people who know the processes of changing a cold, dry, lifeless world into something humans can survive on.” (Butler 236) Akin could have simply moved on with his life and focused on his metamorphosis, but he chose instead to speak up for people who couldn’t advocate for themselves. That initiative shifted the fate of an entire species. Rather than complying with the powers above him, Akin chose to go against the grain—and he was ultimately successful. Another example of someone using their voice for the good of others is found in Buolamwini’s book Unmasking AI, where she recounts being wronged by CBS during a 60 Minutes segment she had dedicated significant time and effort to. The topic of interest was facial recognition technology. She writes, “If I did not speak up for myself I would be quietly complicit in this kind of treatment. Though I had only eight weeks until my PhD defense, instead of working on my long-deserted dissertation, I reached out to the producers to ask about my exclusion… ‘Take them to task!’ he encouraged me. I’m a daddy’s girl. I spent the next few days working with several teams on a public petition that demanded CBS take corrective actions. The petition received more than six thousand signatures.” (Buolamwini 251) Despite the pressure of her upcoming PhD defense, Buolamwini chose to stand up for herself and others who face systemic bias in technology. She sacrificed time that could have been spent on her personal goals to advocate for a cause she deeply believed in—one that resonated with over six thousand supporters. There are certainly unwanted outcomes attached to becoming an advocate, such as deification or martyrdom, or as Dr. Joy puts it, being “wary of the possibility that I would be obligated to deliver lines I did not believe in” (Buolamwini 256), and these may be very dissuasive to good faith change seekers. Yet it is only when one decides what they will and will not tolerate, and subsequently, what kind of representative they will or will not be, that things such as discrimination in skin care and exile from homelands are freed from the idea that they are somehow inevitable. Unfortunately, this often puts the onus on already disadvantaged populations. To say that these folks must stay alert and stay resistant to legislation or consensus that directly affects them is not to say that they are at fault for being disadvantaged, but rather that they are the most equipped, and therefore should be the ones making decisions about things personally affecting them. In a time where new innovations like AI do not serve all people equally, advocacy need not be a constraint imposed on people, but more hopefully, an invitation to direct the uses and implementations of services in a way that is mutually beneficial to all who choose to partake. Advocacy for choice becomes especially important when highly technological services threaten to become the dominant way of life despite being new and not yet fully developed. Unlike Jodahs, who at the time of its self-advocacy, was the only person like itself to ever exist, and as a result, was literally the only person it could rely on, humans represent one of the largest species in the world, making it easy to try to hide behind the masses. Yet as continued discrimination from skin care to living spaces to technology continues to mold the way different people live, Buolamwini and Jodahs make it clear that even something as seemingly small as one person choosing either to ignore or to act makes it much easier for others to also ignore or act, for better or for worse.