In the times of unrest in American society, marked by an enormous amount of polarisation, xenophobia and racism, which slowly started to be seen after President Trump took office in 2016. Since then, racism has been used as a tool to accelerate fear, hate and discrimination thus, fuelling violence and economic depressions. Because of this many politicians, civic movements and incentives took a stance against these trends in order to protect and celebrate the cultural differences in the United States of America. This is also the case when it comes to artists, who began to create content which was more importantly about sending a message rather than just to entertain. One such artist is a director Ryan Coogler, who in 2018 directed a superhero movie called the Black Panther. What this movie achieved is not only to uphold and celebrate the rich culture of Afro-Americans but also it shifted the spotlight of moviegoers all over the world to focus on the struggle of Black people and their unfortunate past.

De Matas (2020) thoroughly researched into the ideology of The Black Panther and a similarly impactful movie Get Out, focusing on their overall significance in this day and age. While the movie itself is an adaptation of a comic book released in 1966 by Marvel Comics, its importance gained its position because of the current mood in the society. De Matas, on the account of both films, correctly points out “Both directors highlight the ability of film to both maintain and establish ideology by providing insight to the world about people, things, and events. At the centre of Black Panther is the ideological and historical reworking of African-ness” (p. 121). The movie works extensively works and operates with the history of Black people, and not only those living in the USA but also those who still live on the African continent. The story of the movie is mainly the struggle between the rightful heir and the usurper to the throne and the powers of the Black Panther. This struggle is between the protagonist, successor to the former Black Panther, T’Challa, portrayed by Chadwick Boseman, and the antagonist, Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, of the same origin as T'Challa, yet now is an Americanized version of him. On the nature of their relationship, De Matas observes, “The micro-conflict between both men, made all the tenser because they each embody a particular value-system, is compounded by the macro-conflict of the direction each of the men envisions for Wakanda” (p. 122). Wakanda, a fictional futuristic African country, untouched by colonialism, posing as a third world country in order to protect its sovereignty but more importantly, its natural resources. For T’Challa, the country’s unknown nature and its wealth should be protected from the outside world for fear of modern colonialism. On the hand, Killmonger sees this kind of conservatism approach almost traitorous to the whole Black race, as it was idle in centuries of suffering which Afro-Americans were forced to experience. Since Killmonger, as a Wakandian, is aware of the technology it possesses, he plans to mass weaponise it and deliver it to radicalised Afro-Americans in order to incite violence over the globe. On the account of Killmonger, De Matas claims, “As a symbol of victimization that has mutated into vengeance, Killmonger is a disturbingly sympathetic character” (p. 123). This film is much more than a blockbuster superhero movie, for it depicts a nation's fight to deal with the possibility of domination presented by both internal, such as Killmonger usurping the throne and external powers, meaning outside powers wanting Wakanda’s resources.

In The Black Panther (2018), there are particular scenes which convey an emotionally strong message to the global audience regarding the life of Black communities in and out of the USA. The opening scenes of the movie, in close succession, show the contrast of the way of life in Wakanda and Oakland, a historically important place for Afro-American activism. In fact, the revolutionary Black Panther Party emerged in Oakland with the aim of fighting police injustice and other forms of oppression against African Americans, this was most likely meant to give homage to this movement. The Black Panther Party, once a leading revolutionary movement with Afrocentrism and Afro-American nationalism as its core ideology, now serves as an example for more modern style incentives and movements, such as Black Lives Matter (BLM). Indeed these scenes are important for the way they have been set up, as De Matas (2020) observes, “These opening scenes set the tone of the entire movie when stereotypes concerning the expected metropolitan centre and less developed periphery are overturned” (p. 123). In this case, the movie is trying to show that life on continental Africa in a never-before-colonised nation would have a better quality of life than of those which have been living in America as a target of racist and xenophobic groups. The Black Panther explores the continent's past, with many deprived nations and speculates more about what would have been possible if they had not been colonised. Sadly, such a wealthy state capable of concealing itself, which resources are not only at the disposal of the local warlord but is benefiting the whole society exists only in fiction.

It is not only the inner and outer fight between main antagonists but also the supporting cast which contrasts the stereotypical image of what Afro-American actors and actresses are typically portraying. Nurse & Winge (2020) in their analysis concerning the position of Black actresses in the movie industry rightly point out the significance this films possesses, claiming “Not only does the Black Panther challenge the stereotypes in blockbuster movies and the superhero genre, but Black Panther is also the first Black superhero mainstream movie released since Blade (1998). Most importantly, Black Panther not only features primarily Black actors but also Black actresses in all but one of the significant roles. Subsequently, the intersectionalities of these factors create a nexus for Black actresses and Black female moviegoers to see their own experiences and agency reflected back through a lens of fashion and agency” (p. 110). The Black Panther offered its audience a view at strong Black female characters to voice support for many women who are fighting for equality in real life. The powerful characters these actresses portray challenge the stereotypical roles for women, especially Black women. Nurse & Winge argue, “Although Shuri displays exceptional intelligence and accomplishments and Okoye is a proven strategist, fighter, and loyal confidant, neither Shuri nor Okoye are in positions of power. Despite the significance of Black Panther and noteworthy roles for the Black actresses, the film only moves the needle forward slightly for women of colour” (p. 113). Even though these female characters maintain an aura of power, essentially, they remain socially and politically inferior to the male characters. Despite this, the authors praise the film, stating “Black Panther successfully subverts controlling images by presenting dress infused with complex narratives of Black womanhood. By adorning Black women in a mixture of dress styles and symbols, at times contradictory, this act represents an important divergence in the representation and racialization of Black women” (p. 113). The illustration of the culture in clothing and traditions in continental Africa is a vital part of creating an image of an ideal and safe space for all Afro-Americans. Black Panther represents a moment for the Black community in the USA to retrace their ancestors originated in Africa using costumes, screenplay, and soundtrack

According to a New York Times article by Wallace (2018), The Black Panther is a crucial moment for all Afro-Americans in the USA. For Wallace, the futuristic polis Wakanda represents a shelter, and even though it is imaginary, it still brings comfort. The author of the article states, “Black Panther is a Hollywood movie, and Wakanda is a fictional nation. But coming when they do, from a director like Coogler, they must also function as a place for multiple generations of black Americans to store some of our most deeply held aspirations. We have for centuries sought to either find or create a promised land where we would be untroubled by the criminal horrors of our American existence” (para. 14). Because of this, the movie poses as an opportunity for African-American parents for it gives numerous moments of learning that will help to understand society and inspire the desire for a better future. Furthermore, Wallace describes one of the main sources of inspiration behind The Black Panther, that being the movement of Afro-futurism. As Wallace shows, “The artistic movement called Afrofuturism, a decidedly black creation, is meant to go far beyond the limitations of the white imagination. It isn’t just the idea that black people will exist in the future, will use technology and science, will travel deep into space. It is the idea that we will have won the future. There exists, somewhere within us, an image in which we are whole, in which we are home. Afrofuturism is, if nothing else, an attempt to imagine what that home would be” (para. 17). Gipson (2019) in his paper regarding Afro-futurism finds that this movement serves as an escape from the hardships Black people have endured and still experience. Gipson claims, “Afrofuturist narratives and artwork often depict Black people building communities, innovating new technologies, rewriting dominant narratives, and escaping oppression” (p. 91). The world of The Black Panther is impacted by Afro-futurism to a great degree and it is this ideology which counters the narrative of Africa as a poverty-stricken, undeveloped continent. Through the film, Black Panther provides a pop-culture view on what it means to be of African descent. Furthermore, the film works with the advantage of being readily available globally, while maintaining that the material is socially important to the public discourse over a continuing fight for better representation and inclusion of people of colour.

Movies are often considered to be just a form of entertainment and without a doubt, many of them are fulfilling just this purpose. Nevertheless, in the times of unrest and struggle movies can transcend their purpose to support existing, or even create new, movements and give voice and a platform to people without one, or with one which is not powerful enough tone heard. The Black Panther elevated itself to be such a movie. The Black Panther is not only a corporate product posing as a forced cultural shift to profit as much as it can, but it also acts as a celebration of what it meant to be African, what it means to be Afro-American now, and what it could have been, for the entire race.

Sources:

Black Panther. Directed by Ryan Coogler, Marvel Studios and Disney Pictures, 2018.

De Matas, J. (2020) More Than Movies: Reconceptualizing Race in Black Panther and Get Out. POPULAR CULTURE STUDIES JOURNAL, 120.

Gipson, G. (2019). Creating and Imagining Black Futures through Afrofuturism. In De Kosnik A. & Feldman K. (Eds.), #identity: Hashtagging Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Nation (pp. 84-103). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Nurse, A., & Winge, T. M. (2020) Racialized Representations of Black Actresses: Power, Position, and Politics of the Mediated Black Woman.

Wallace, C. (2018, February 12). Why 'Black Panther' Is a Defining Moment for Black America. Retrieved January 10, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/magazine/why-black-panther-is-a-defining-moment-for-black-america.html