One idea that I find worth attention is in the article about Black Panther, when the writer Carvell Wallace references a video posted to twitter, in which three young men make comments regarding a black panther poster. They all make jokes, but the one that strikes me most is “This is what white people get to feel all the time?”. What he means by this is the idea that the majority of big time movies, and shows, are majority all white cast, with minorities playing smaller roles. Though this time it is completely different, a Black movie where the main characters are Black, and play all of the significant roles. To add on, this movie is not yet another “Black Pain” movie, such as a movie about slavery, or segregation, but it is a movie depicting Black people in roles of royalty and of great purpose, and power. Black Panther doesn’t make its audience feel bad for Black People, it instead impowers Black People and all that can relate to it. It is a movie of excellence, and Black youth can now finally see people like them on the big screen, and that is a defining moment for Black America.
Not only is this a defining moment for Black America, but it’s also a big moment for the Black Lives Matter Movement. BLM, aims to bring justice to Black Americans, and dismantle systematic racism. Black Panther allowed America to see Blackness in its excellence, and in a positive light. Black people often are portrayed as criminals, or portrayed in movies in poor circumstances, which perpetuates the injustice that Black people in America continue to experience, it also shows Africa in a new light, which is that its not only a impoverished continent, but a place that is just as modern, and a place full of beautiful and vibrant culture. The Black Lives Matter Movement aims to change the narrative of Black people in America, and Black Panther does exactly that. Showing Black America, and America as a whole in a movie where THEY are the stars, and they are the ones that everybody is crowding into movie theaters to go see. This is a big step for Black America and BLM in terms of empowerment and representation.
Relating back to the first paragraph, and the comments made about a lack of representation in America when it comes to Black people in powerful roles. Black Panther gives Black America new hope, and new inspiration, which is that they can be powerful and strong too, that they can be the main stars if they want to, and that they are just as important as any other race. It is time for representation in American movies, and not just movies but everywhere else, and with the release of this movie and the large impact that it had even before its release, it is a step towards equality, and justice in America, and Afrofuturism.
