Why The Black Panther Is So Important To The Black Community

I’m sure you heard about the Blank Panther movie; you couldn’t miss it! The social media hype was global and “Wakanda Forever”, became a staple saying. People made memes out of it for months, and girls were gagging over Michael B. Jordan and his multiple shirtless scenes. It remained the number one movie for five weeks straight and came in at $27 million in the first weekend. Black Panther is in the top two of Marvel’s highest selling movies, coming in right under the Avengers movie. Yes, this is great for Marvel and their community, but this movie represented something much more to the black community as a whole. Plus, black actors and actresses were on the main stage in a major way for this movie and it was awesome!

Gave Us A Hero

Everyone loves Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Captain America, etc., but most of these characters are played by white males. Black hero’s in the movie are usually on the side, if they’re in a movie at all and there definitely aren’t full casts of African Americans in movies in this genre. In today’s world, really in most worlds, the black man has been painted in a more negative light than any other. They’re linked to things like drugs, jail, and not being good fathers. Black Panther put the black man back as a symbol of strength, wisdom, honor and determination. Black men were represented how they should be. It reminded some of us that we are kings and queens, even if we are not always represented as such.

Stars That Look Like Us

For a young, black boy to see a man who looks like him on the big screen, playing the hero, or for black girls, to see someone that looked like them, be called a princess… that inspires them. In the movie, the women wore their natural hair, in afros, bantu knots, and braids. The men wore dread-locks, and afros. The people as a whole dressed in African print garments and represented African culture in every way possible with their tribal ceremonies and names. Imagine seeing someone in your dream job position, and they looked like you or talked like you, dressed like you…you would feel more confident. It may solidify your thoughts about what you want to do and where you belong. A sense of belonging is something most humans crave.

Unity Of The Black Family & Community

An important thing Black Panther did for our community, is bring back the idea of a black family and communities. Throughout the movie, loyalty was a strong theme. Putting family first and having morals, values, and codes was emphasized. The idea of a black family has also been destroyed over the years. More than 65% of black households are ran by a single parent, 90% being a single mother household. This movie highlighted the strength of our families when we stick by each other and help each other excel. It reminded us that every obstacle can be overcome and that no storm lasts forever. Sticking with the ones who will and who have stuck with, can be crucial if you want to succeed.