Black Panther is not just a superhero movie.
It’s an anthem to women, a proclamation that black lives matter, and a statement about how power can be manipulated for good or for evil (okay, so some of the usual superhero themes).
One of the ways I keep my ear to the ground on the collective black voice (if there’s such a thing) is through Twitter. And since the trailer for Black Panther dropped last summer, black Twitter has been abuzz with anticipation. So far, less than two weeks after it’s release, it has already broken all kinds of records at the box office.
And it seems viewers (of all races) have not been disappointed. So why all the hype?
The hashtag #WhatBlackPantherMeanstoMe on Twitter holds open a door to take a peek inside and see what all the excitement’s about. Here are some of the Tweets I’ve noticed over the past few days that are from people of color:
#WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe having a movie with POC who aren’t in subservient roles, who are in more than one scene, and have more than a handful of lines that aren’t dripping with stereotypes– I teared.
— M.L. Reyes (@_MLReyes) February 10, 2018
“We, as Black women, are marginalized and underrepresented — especially when it comes to cinema. Seeing yourself reflected in media can shape who you are.”@JamieBroadnax, Editor-in-Chief of @BlackGirlNerds, on #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe.https://t.co/dHvIHppOEP
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) February 15, 2018
#WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe Moving beyond limiting narratives and embracing fantastic depictions of black excellence. Wakanda’s example of an inescapably black science fantasy is a future for me in a way that star wars and star trek simply are not and cannot be. #BlackFutureMonth
— John Isadore (@Awwwerewolf) February 15, 2018
I’m back from Wakanda and…
I FEEL EMPOWERED!
I FEEL POWERFUL!!
I FEEL REPRESENTED!!!#BlackPanther #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe— Neysha is apartment hunting in Wakanda. (@La_Ney_sha) February 17, 2018
To see a black film is one thing. But to see a black superhero on the big screen.. to see a black superhero pay homage to our ancestry and speak the truth to what this world needs, means the world to me… #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe
— Miguelito Brownie (@MiguelitoBrowne) February 18, 2018
#WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe being able to see a princess that LOOKS like me and is smart, strong, brave, pretty and silly like me. Can’t wait to share this movie with #FlintKids #blackpanther #WakandaForever pic.twitter.com/q1v3setVOH
— Mari Copeny (@LittleMissFlint) February 16, 2018
This is why representation matters. My wife and I were in tears seeing these kids after just finishing #BlackPanther #WakandaForever #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe pic.twitter.com/cFgmKplUpd
— Gurble Gooch (@gurblegooch666) February 16, 2018
Seventeen years ago I sat eating popcorn in a movie theater in Kampala, Uganda, with my Ugandan friends. Tom Cruise scaled a wall in Mission Impossible and for two hours, we were absorbed into the mainly white world of the film. When the movie ended, we exited the front of the theater and I was startled when we stepped into what looked, to me, like another movie set with all black faces, Luganda spoken on the streets, and women wrapped in colorful skirts. For a short time, I was thankful for a movie with people who looked like me and shared my culture. That six months was the first time in my life I experienced being a minority. But what if most of my life was spent watching, reading about, listening to, and seeing representations of people who looked nothing like me?
Black Panther is important. Writer friend Yabome Gilpin-Jackson wrote for a previous post, called “Why Black Panther Matters,” on Scraping Raisins: “Black children of African descent living off the continent need this. They need these moments of relatable role models, real and iconic, that they can look up to and hear stories from, so that they too can believe in their ability to reach higher.”
If you haven’t seen the film yet, I’ll try and spare you the spoilers, but in my opinion, this is #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe. As a person who loves other cultures and traveling, I personally loved the depiction of the country of Wakanda. The costumes and scenery were stunning. The customs of Wakanda and the mutual submission and respect they showed one another were fascinating. And yet I also appreciated that even good kings had dark secrets, an aspect that felt more reminiscent of Myazaki and Japanamation than of typical western films. Even good characters are capable of evil; evil characters are capable of good.
Though I’m no sci-fi expert, the gadgets and technology used on Wakanda were intriguing. I especially loved that the sister was the pro at this, and not the stereotypical nerdy tech man of most Hollywood films. What? Girls can be scientists, too?
Which brings me to my favorite part of the movie: the women.
I went into the film with zero knowledge of the comic book the movie was based on, so when the king’s army turned out to be all female, I leaned over to my husband and whispered loudly, “His army is all women!” He nodded, amused by my enthusiasm. Though women have come a long way in gaining rights in society, something primal rose up in me when I saw women portrayed as strong protectors with equal standing as men.
The cast of this movie is incredible and I was happy to see familiar faces, Randall (Sterling K. Brown) from This is Us, Alex (Michael B. Jordan), the boyfriend of Haddie from Parenthood, and Daniel Kaluuya from Get Out.
A few aspects of the movie did surprise me. Though I knew the movie had a mainly all black cast, I’m embarrassed to admit I wasn’t expecting race to be discussed in the film. I feel like this assumption is indicative of lingering ignorance and implicit bias on my part–that deep down, I still believe we live in a post-racial society where race does not need to be touched-on in a film with a nearly all-black cast.
My first thought in the opening scenes of the film were, Why are they perpetuating stereotypes about African Americans by beginning the film in the ghetto, over an illegal deal? I was jarred by the anger and bitterness of the anti-hero, Erick Killmonger, and felt the familiar bristling that whites feel when we’re are accused of our privilege and supremacy. (As an aside, to more acutely feel these feelings, watch the movie Get Out–it’s the good kind of uncomfortable).
I also wondered why the casting directors chose to go with British actor, Martin Freeman from Lord of the Rings, rather than an American actor. Perhaps this was intentional? Maybe the makers did not want to give a white American a lead role in this legendary film? Fair enough.
Of course race needed to be discussed. And this honesty only added another layer of depth to the movie, preventing audiences from skidding across the shallow surface of a “just another superhero film,” forcing them past the wading pool to the deeps of the human psyche.
This movie confronts gender, race, politics, isolationism, impoverished countries, hidden wealth and resources, identity, love, equality, and the trauma and scars of history. If you see any movie this year, you should see Black Panther. It’s not just a superhero movie.
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Read my film expert friend’s review of Black Panther here.
Read African, Yabome Gilpin-Jackson, Ph. D’s review here.
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How is God calling you to enter the race conversation?
This month we’re discussing racism, privilege and bridge building. If you’d like to guest post on this topic, please email me at scrapingraisins(dot)gmail(dot)com. Yes, this is awkward and fraught with the potential for missteps, blunders and embarrassing moments, but it’s necessary. Join me?
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(Consider joining the Facebook group Be the Bridge to Racial Unity to learn more about how God is moving in this sphere.)
If you are a writer, consider using the hashtag #WOCwithpens to showcase the writing of our black and brown sisters of faith every Wednesday specifically, but anytime as well! You can find the explanation for the hashtag here.
If you’re a white person who’s new to all of this, I compiled some resources to start you on your journey (because I’m not much farther ahead):
70+ Race Resources for White People
80+ MORE Race Resources for White people
* image from here.