Alright everyone, I can’t even begin to tell you guys how excited I am to write this. My last two pieces were more on the serious side, but I wanted to write something fun for this month! It’s February and it's Black History Month -- can you guess what my articles for the month will be about?
So why not start off with one of the most anticipated movies of the year? Marvel’s Black Panther
. Listen, this movie has not even come out yet and it already has the "Black Delegation" hype. Now, do all black people care about this movie? Probably not, but trust and believe that a lot of us do. And before anybody whines and says "black people aren't the only ones that are excited about the movie", I know that, but dang, let us have this for a minute. This isn't the first time that we've seen a black superhero, but Black Panther is going to be monumental. Let's begin.1. Everyone can get it
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I mean, this is basically true for every Marvel movie, but seriously, everyone in this movie is fine. Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, my heart and soul Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o, Letitia Wright, and the incomparable Angela Bassett who is the definition of "black don't crack." So even if you know nothing about comic books, go just to stare at all the beautiful people.
2. Wakanda is a civilization untouched:
Now, before you start looking for Airbnbs in Wakanda, just know that it is a fictional African nation. According to the comic books, it borders Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya. In the film, they speak the very real language of South Africa, Xhosa. What I love about Wakanda is that unlike many other African countries, it hasn't been touched by White Supremacy, Western colonizers, and stripped of its resources, so to some people, it wouldn't be considered a "sh*thole."
While Wakanda is a fictional place, from what we've seen from the previews, it takes on cultural aesthetics and influences from different African countries. Wakanda contains the valuable substance vibranium. Wanting to protect his country and people, T'Chaka, T'Challa's father concealed Wakanda from the world. Even though it's free from outside influences, it soon becomes one of the world's most technologically advanced countries. Western media tends to depict an Africa that is full of warlords, poverty, and starving children. Even though that is part of their reality, Africa is so much more than that.
3. We're not depicted as slaves, maids, drug dealers, or gangsters:
I understand that we're not always depicted that way, but more often than not, black people( and minorities in general) aren't depicted in the most positive light. It's a breath of fresh air to see us as heroes, kings, queens and all around badasses.
4. Little black boys and girls can see themselves on screen:
Yes, this is a very big deal. Because representation is important. Obviously, black actors have been on screen, but it's different when you see yourself on screen in the mainstream media versus on TV shows and movies that are meant for black audiences. As a biracial, light skin (or "high-yellow" as my dad likes to say) black woman, I'm privileged in the reality that black women that look like me are more likely to be shown on screen. I can't wait to sit in the theater and see little black boys and girls getting excited to finally see heroes that look like them. Take T'Challa's sister Shuri for example. She's the sixteen years old princess of Wakanda and she's designs all the new technology for the country. She's even smarter than Tony Stark. And don't even get me started on the Dora Milaje, an all-female warrior group that protects Wakanda. Seeing them excited and happy is what I'm most looking forward to.
5. IT'S FINNA BE LIT:
Do I really need to elaborate anymore? I mean, I already have my outfit picked out for Christ's sake. We have a week left, get your movie snacks ready, hell take the day off of work, and make an event of it.
Honorable mention:
Kendrick Lamar was in charge of the soundtrack:
