Wakanda Forever

Just to make sure I kept my black card and it wasn’t revoked, I went to see Black Panther…twice actually. The first time I had a bit of an issue. I arrived a little late so I missed maybe the first 7-10 minutes of the beginning of the movie. This made me feel as if I missed a huge chunk of the movie. I wasn’t even sure if I was going to Wakanda at the end of the movie. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie, but I felt that I needed to go back and re-evaluate the movie to make more of a sound judgement or to even have an opinion about the movie overall. Admittedly, when I saw it the second time, by the end I felt liberated.

I am not a comic book/super hero person and that is a good thing because that is far more than what this movie is about. There were a LOT of messages throughout the movie that I think we can relate to our present world. The movie showed so much about the rich history of Africa and the disconnect with America. Black Panther is a tribute to our ancestry and exactly the movie the world needs right now. This is glimpse in my opinion of what we could have had vs. what we do have because our ancestors did not choose death over bondage.

Black Panther showed he had a heart for his people. He stood up for what he truly believed and showcased resiliency. You know who else was resilient? Killmonger. I loved Killmonger’s transparency in showing us what the issues really are in the world today. It was a little hard to hate him.

My favorite line: “My father said that one day he’d take me to Wakanda, the most beautiful place in the world… Can you believe that? A kid from Oakland believing in fairy tales.” WOW. Young black kids are not being exposed to superheroes who look just like them, to show the world is truly theirs and they can be whoever they want to be. They can dream big. I mean look at Chadwick Boseman who portrays the Black Panther himself. He is from a small town in SC, Anderson to be exact, and now he is on the big screen. That alone for me speaks volumes: small town does not equal small dreams or limits on life.

I read a tweet the other day that stated: “Finally seeing BLACK people ruling their BLACK country, on their BLACK continent, minding their BLACK business, thriving with their BLACK dollars and BLACK resources.” This statement is so profound. It reflects the fact that this movie shows us what the world would be like if it were not for the colonizers. It felt good seeing women standing by the king and even being the general. These women who looked like me were treated as equals. These women were strong and inspiring. We are warriors in everyday life, protecting and nurturing the ones we love. I also appreciate the fact the movie touched on the isolationist world view. Yes it is important to maintain traditions within your culture, but the world is evolving. We must be sure to take care of our own before we aid others. We can help those in need without losing who we are in the process.

For once, we have a film where we OWN IT! We are not in marginalized or portraying demeaning roles. The film was so empowering, vibrant, beautiful, and funny. #heyauntie

Be unapologetically black! Let’s make WAKANDA a reality. Are you in?!