Black Panther: Representation Matters

I know I usually do a movie review of a Marvel movie. However, this week I want to do something different with the Black Panther. I want to talk about the importance of the movie in relation to the real world.

The Black Panther was created after the idea that this land was not colonized. We live in a world where Black Lives Matter and other movements are fighting racism to make the Earth safer for minorities. This film portrayed Wakandans as fierce warriors that are not waiting for someone to rescue them. Their valuable resource, vibranium, has not been exploited by colonizers. Being untouched, their culture differs from the rest of the world. Portraying an African Country as powerful instead of poor and weak fights the negative stigma that European countries are superior.

Wakanda is an imaginary world in which this untouched land flourished into advanced technology. This movie does not just make them equal to other countries but superior. A lot of times, people will point to a racist person’s success and achievements and say, “look at all the good they have done. We can not stop celebrating their accomplishments because they oppressed people of color.” Black Panther shows how the victims of oppression could have made the same achievements. The movie illustrates what we missed because of racism and destroying cultures. In fact, Wakanda’s technology is superior to the rest of the world, pointing out that their accomplishments would not just be as good as the oppressors, but revolutionary to Earth’s development.

One of the best parts of this movie is the representation of natural Black beauty. In an interview, Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri, talks about how no one’s hair is straight in the movie. Wakanda has its own uninfluenced culture. Here, natural Black hair is celebrated.The Black Panther Hair Stylist Wanted Only Natural Looks - FLARE

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Another important issue I personally feel the Black Panther addresses is that you don’t have to be perfect. I know having a disability is different than being a racial minority, but I know we both feel the pressure to outperform everyone else to earn our spot. I love how Shuri is an intelligent genius who is still simply a funny young girl. She is not flawless or one-dimensional. She is a relatable person. Many characters in the film underestimate her until she opens her mouth – that is my favorite part of the whole film. So many times people underestimate minorities, especially female women of color. 

Speaking of powerful women, I loved the representation of black female warriors. Expanding the roles of minorities in movies has been growing the last few years. However, there are some roles, especially for female minorities, that remain empty. It is so rare to see women of color in powerful positions like an army. Not only that, but these are some of the best warriors in the MCU. These women are giving the Black Widow a run for her money.The fiercest warrior in 'Black Panther' might not be who you think – Daily  News

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The Black Panther also shows that dominantly black movies can have massive success, contradicting Hollywood’s excuse to attract the most viewers. Oftentimes, movies will not cast Black actors because they want a dominantly white cast to appeal to the mass audience. Black Panther generated more money in the box office than The Avengers. This contradicts that movies must appeal to white audiences to make money.

All in all, the Black Panther movie was one of the best made Marvel films. Yet, what it symbolizes in the real world is far more valuable.

 

5 Comments on Black Panther: Representation Matters

  1. Kaylah Tengeya
    October 29, 2021 at 12:54 pm (2 years ago)

    Hey I totally agree with everything you said. especially the portion where you talked about natural hair because that is so important! Also I know there are some people believe that Killmonger was right but Nakia’s plan/perspective actually was the right take on the whole situation. Anyways I loved the movie especially being a Kenyan-American myself. My family and I dressed up when we went to go see it.

    Reply
  2. David
    October 29, 2021 at 12:55 pm (2 years ago)

    I’m not usually a big fan of superhero movies, but I remember really enjoying Black Panther when I saw it. I like how you identified the theme of this is what oppressed people could have accomplished without the interference of colonial oppressors. I actually didn’t even recognize that when I saw that movie.

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  3. Cassy Edwards
    October 29, 2021 at 1:02 pm (2 years ago)

    I absolutely love the way you wrote about this movie. I’m so glad you discussed the importance it has relative to the real world and I love that you mentioned the representation of natural Black beauty! When I took AP Lang my junior year of high school we did a unit on Marvel films and we read a lot about how Black Panther ties back to colonization.

    Reply
  4. Jaxon-Blake Muldrow
    October 29, 2021 at 1:06 pm (2 years ago)

    Wow, Rebecca! This blog post was amazing. I really enjoyed how you did not take the surface view and just talk about Black Panther as a movie, but dissected the ingrained meanings of Blacks Panther. Excellent job!

    Reply
  5. Ged
    October 29, 2021 at 8:06 pm (2 years ago)

    Love it! You did an awesome job at dissecting the meaning behind Black Panther. I think the meaning behind Black Panther is really interesting, and it shows your passion for Marvel movies!

    Reply

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