Black Panther

I got a chance to watch the latest Marvel movie, Black Panther and I must say I was impressed. I might as well say what we're all thinking this is the black super hero movie, but having said that, it was the most bad ass superhero movie the black community could ask for on every level. Black Panther is sort of the African Tony Stark, he comes from a legacy of wealth and technology which gives him his power but also is the source of his problems. Vibranium, the ultimate metal that has been important for Captain America's shield, Ultron and the Vision, and I believe probably at least one version of the Iron Man suit, comes from a place in Africa known as Wakanda. Wakanda is awesome because it is in stark contrast to the Africa we know, a place where Vibranium has allowed for technology that makes Stark Industries look like a third world mom and pop shop. While this makes King T'Challa a superhero that is badass enough to stand alongside the Avengers and leave half of them with envy, it also begs the question, why ae black people suffering so much in the rest of the world if T'Challa can afford to live like this? This question is the driving force behind the entire movie, Wakanda pretends to be a poor third world country to protect their secrets and way fo life, but when they send out spies to see the rest of the world, some find the outside world to be ugly and demand that their brothers stand up against oppression, and in at least one case the spy gets involved in crime, a downfall of the black community in the real world that simply must be addressed. The story gets complicated, much like the real world, it gets a little unclear who the bad guy really is, the criminals who are willign to kill to get what they want, or the royal families of Wakanda who seem to be as selfish as those who oppress the black people in the rest of the world. T'Challa is not just some black guy with super powers, he has to deal with the ultimate struggle of black people today, when you have what you need to succeed in this world, do you take care of yourself first or do you help your community, and how far do you have to go when your people are starting at the bottom of the world to begin with? It's not simple, the comics have been dealing with this for decades and the movies are just scratching the surface, but they are scratching with fully extended claws.

Overall, this movie is good for the black community not only because it has a large black cast introducing a black super hero to the biggest super hero club in the world right now, but also because Wakanda is a country of wealth, technology and intelligence, things that black people don't always get to have in the real world, but the way it is presented suggests that this is possible and should be what they should aspire to. T'Challa's little sister Shuri is the genius behind the technology, and a great role model for young black girls. I couldn't help but think if every little black girl who watches this could be inspired by her, that would be a great thing, especially right now when there's a push for STEM, Shuri is the face of that movement. All of the females in the movie are strong characters who make good role models for women in general but especially black women who can be proud of who they are and where they came from. The villain, Erik "Killmonger" Stevens is a second generation Wakanda-American who is torn between the paradise he should have lived in and the harsh reality most black people have to deal with and his story reflects the possibilities of where the hero could have gone if life had gone differently, in fact his accusations against T'Challa is what makes him question if he himself is the villain after all. W'Kabi and M'Baku he other major tribal chiefs add more layers in between T'Challa and Killmonger, M'Baku appears to be an antagonist but proves to be a valuable ally, while W'Kabi seems to be T'Challa's best friend but goes to the other side not because he's a bad guy, but because he actually believes the other guy may be right that Wakanda should help the world.

This is not a simple story of good guys versus bad guys, but it does wade through all of the complex issues to finish on a message of hope, T'Challa does the the right thing, for himself, for his people, for the world. The point is that the key to being a hero like T'Challa is not Vibranium or a heart shaped herb, but the wisdom to do the right thing even when it is hard. In a lot of ways, this puts Black Panther in line with his fellow Marvel heroes, each one coming from a background with problems choosing to do the right thing, and in presenting this similarity makes him relatable for those outside of the black community so that we can all get behind him and root for him. The journey ahead may be a long one, but this first step is a very important one in the right direction, and we all need to keep going forward.