Race and Power in Black Panther

Date of Event

2018

Title

Race and Power in Black Panther

Brief Description

Black Panther creates a world where Africa is given great power in the form of Vibranium. It uses this world to tell an Afrofuturist narrative about racial conflicts and how power should be used.

Location

Africa

Student creator name(s)

Jacob Schuckman

Afrofuturism Canon

AfricanFuturism

Tag(s)

AfricanFuturism

Abstract

In our world, Africa got the short end of the stick. Due to geography, European society grew faster than Africa. Europe became dominant and pillaged Africa’s art, resources and people. Since then, the diaspora of Africa have been oppressed. Black Panther flips this idea and gives Africa the power. A meteor of vibranium landed on the continent and Wakanda was built atop it. Vibranium gave Wakanda the power of the Black Panther and allowed the country to create technology far greater than the rest of the world. The conflict of the film arises from disagreements over how Wakanda’s power should be used.
Prior to the events of the movie, Wakanda did not share vibranium with the rest of the world. They pretended to be a third world country and kept their power to themselves. Outside of Wakanda, war was rampant. The kings of Wakanda knew that, if they revealed the truth to the world, other countries would want their power. Wakanda would be invaded and the vibranium that it relied upon would be ransacked. The goal of Wakandan kings, first and foremost, was to protect their people, so they sacrificed the rest of the world.
Killmonger changes things by being of royal blood but growing up outside Wakanda. In the film, he travels to Wakanda, takes the throne and orders vibranium weapons to be sent to black folks across the world. Killmonger’s childhood was very different from past kings of Wakanda. He grew up in a poor neighborhood and saw the suffering of the African diaspora that Wakanda was apathetic to. The solution in his mind was to supply black folks with the weapons they needed to no longer be oppressed. In this world where Africa had the power, he wants to use it to rule over white folks.
T’Challa begins the movie like the other kings, caring only for his country. Over the course of the movie, he learns to work with outsiders such as Ross and M’Baku. T’Challa sees the flaws in Killmonger’s plan, that it will only spur the cycle of war, oppression and hate. On the other hand, he learns to empathize with Killmonger and the struggles of black folks around the world. At the end of the film, T’Challa compromises. He stops the weapons from exiting the country, but he reveals the truth of Wakanda to the United Nations. Rather than hoarding the power for his country or using it to support the people of his race, he shares it with the world so everyone can grow together.

Black Panther. Directed by Ryan Coogler, performances by Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Guira, Letitia Wright, and Daniel Kaluuya, Marvel Studios, 2018.