Marvel’s Black Panther is in movie theaters now. Black Panther the superhero is here to save the world but he represents so much more than that.
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the comic book character in 1966—and predates the Black Panther Party, according to Chuck Creekmur, the CEO of AllHipHop.com. The character is a king, warrior, and scientist—an alpha male on another level, Creekmur says.
Black Panther is king of a fictional technologically advanced African country that hides its riches and intellectual wealth from the world until the Black Panther must fulfill his destiny.
The movie has great action, strong female characters, a multi-layered plot and a predominantly black cast. It is groundbreaking in many ways.
“You have a $200 million budget given to a person of color, Ryan Coogler, 31 years old, has only directed two other films prior to this—Fruitvale Station and Creed,” says Clayton Davis, a film critic and the editor in chief of awardscircuit.com. “And he’s given the keys to a big franchise like Black Panther.”
The film’s positive portrayals of a black civilization untouched by racism or colonialism can have a profound effect, especially on children.
“We’ve all been conditioned to see Africa and Africa’s children, whether they be in Africa or in Brooklyn, in a negative light,” says Brian Favors, an educator with the Nate Parker Foundation. “And I think this is going to be something that’s going to help defy some of those stereotypes.”
“Any time an individual can see themselves in a positive light, that can only increase their self-esteem,” says Dr. Elisa English, a clinical therapist.
—LISA EVERS
FEATURED CAST: LISA EVERS, Host and Executive Producer, Street Soldiers https://twitter.com/lisaevers
CHUCK CREEKMUR, CEO, AllHipHop.com https://twitter.com/chuckcreekmur https://twitter.com/AllHipHopcom
CLAYTON DAVIS, Editor in Chief, AwardsCircuit.com https://twitter.com/ClaytonDavis_Jr https://twitter.com/AwardsCircuit
BRIAN FAVORS, Educator, Nate Parker Foundation https://twitter.com/NateParkerFdn
DR. ELISA ENGLISH, clinical therapist https://twitter.com/AskDrElisa