The Black Panther Movie Divide

The Black Panther Movie Divide

This highly anticipated weekend saw the release of the long-awaited movie. Marvel’s Black Panther is the latest stand-alone film featuring the superhero King from Wakanda, a fictional African nation. For months Black folks have been chomping at the bit for the movie, African-Americans more than most in my humble opinion. Every trailer from the sneak peek to the full feature brought more raised temperatures to see this movie. As someone who loves marketing & advertising. I can’t say anything negative about the genius strategy being the promotion of this blockbuster film. With the release date right in the middle of Black History Month, it’s just clever. But with anything steeped in “blackness” in this country, there will be a divide, in this case. The Black Panther Movie Divide.

Fast forward to Thursday, February 15th, every social media platform from Facebook to Snapchat begins to produce the post of folks geeked up for Black Panther opening night. True to form, from hints, dropped months before, black folks were going to show their asses in full two cheeks display mode. All the Kente cloth, head wraps, African traditional garb, matching couple outfits, ankh jewelry, and for some weird reason Coming to America Zamunda nation fashion.

Now clearly this was a mixture of African pride, cosplay, woke folk, and inevitably some bandwagonist. But it did not take long after this parade of “Blackness” aka Black Excellence aka Black Pride for the negative nigg… uh nancies to pop up. The crab-in-a-barrel mentality which is very real in the culture was present to take part in the ass-showing parade. And disappointingly it would not be silenced. Before opening weekend this was brewing sporadically, it was becoming clear this was shaping up to become a Nigga vs Woke vs Black Folks moment.

Grumbles about why these black folks need to dress up. It’s corny! We’re black the movie is about fictitious Africans. Then Disney needs to give 25% of the proceeds to the black community! vs The black community does not need handouts… To, I am going to this movie to support the black actors! vs Fuck this movie/actors, it’s fictional! You niggas need to go see the Real Black Panther, where’s Huey P Newton stay woke? How can you support this film, making Disney rich, but not support black businesses? Even the LGBTIQ community chiming in on the lack of representation, I guess Wakanda needs transgenders to be accepted.

This is not the time, month or weekend for darkness or shade… Be a beacon of positive light for the diaspora, culture, consciousness, and community

It’s moments in time like this that make me ponder on the question of Black Unity, Culture, and Community, and why as a race, the progression always has to have stumbling blocks, and more of these hurdles are provided by us than anything else. When this movie was announced as having an all-black cast, well 99.5% Black cast… that was huge!! Many folks always say…

Look we are tired of the slavery movies or the movies that portray us as criminals or athletes needing wypipo intervention

So finally a movie with a BLACK SUPERHERO from the motherland, the birthplace of civilization… Affffricaaaa. Well, Wakanda actually. But instead of riding the wave, dwelling within the positive mindset, some jaggabats have to chime in with the bullshit. Forget the full black cast, just look at one main character Chadwick Boseman and the iconic roles he’s played in recent history, from James Brown to Jackie Robinson, and before the movie Black Panther dropped, he played Thurgood Marshall. Now you would think if kids are drawn in by the superhero character and yes it is fictional, but if Chadwick becomes their favorite actor and they look into his body of work, the characters he’s played, will they not learn something? A little History maybe?

Now at the posting of this blog entry, I am yet to see the Black Panther movie. I personally just can’t do opening weekend EVER. My coins won’t go to the inevitable record-setting numbers, but it will go towards the total gross for sure. I can’t do the opening weekend simply because I like very specific seats in the cinema. My favorite seats… The second row from the back middle seats. It gives me a great viewing angle and the emptier the cinema the better. The sounds hit you in the chest better with Imax. But with opening weekend unless it’s a cinema with assigned seating, it’s a struggle to get “my seats”. Not to mention the whole subtle fighting for the armrest on both sides.

My plan was to go see the film on Tuesday, Wednesday when some of the enthusiasm died down, but unfortunately I forgot it was the school’s half-term break, so it’s not only crowds now, it’s kids… I’ll be damned if I share my cinema viewing pleasure with these snotbag dependants. I don’t mind chatter during a movie. I’m that weirdo who will randomly laugh at a backend joke, no one else seems to find it funny.

Personally, I just want to see a great film, that’s it! A good story, good acting, good cinematography, and great special effects. Although I read the comics as a kid, I have forgotten all that stuff with age, so I’m not looking at it from the perspective of a comic book nerd and comic/film purist. I am not adorning any traditional or modern African garb. Absolutely nothing against it, just personal choice. I know I will not come out of this movie so hyped that I’ll want to start beating a kettle drum and researching every little piece of Kemet history. This movie won’t awaken any hidden repressed BLACK PRIDE or BLACK EXCELLENCE. But that said, I support every positive aspect of this movie’s impact on the community and the culture.

I look forward to seeing the next installments, I hope this first film’s success does not set up the others for failure. Negros stop being so divided! if you were down with the culture for years and mad now you think folks just dressing up for a movie, use your knowledge for a teachable moment. The ones who want to learn more will. For people who want the spending power of the community to stay in the community, use this open door and era we’re in to make Black businesses thrive. For folks who think regardless of how much money this movie makes, future big black films won’t be green lite, rethink your mindset. The bottom line here is,  let us all stay positive, enjoy this film, celebrate it, rejoice in its success, and don’t bootleg it. #WakandaForever

This Wakanda shit is free good vibes. The enthusiasm is electric and infectious… Why piss on it? Again why sit in the shade? Why squat in the negative space? Be A beacon!

Marvel Studios BLACK PANTHER T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) Credit: Matt Kennedy/©Marvel Studios 2018