Black Panther extends message of power to ‘under-represented’
Marvel blockbuster finally gives black science-fiction lovers ‘a seat at the table’
Black student groups at McGill and Concordia universities are among a number of community organizations holding special screenings of the new film Black Panther.
The movie, which officially opens on Friday, features a predominately black cast and was directed by Ryan Coogler, who is African-American.
“I think what’s really important about this movie is that it’s not just black representation, but it’s expanding the horizons of black representation,” McGill student Fatou Ndiaye said.
“It’s important that it’s a Marvel movie, because often times black fans and characters are underrepresented in the supernatural, sci-fi world.”
Black characters in media are often stereotyped and confined to a handful of roles — like the “sassy black woman” or the “angry black man,” she said.
For Ndiaye, seeing multi-faceted characters in a science fiction world reflects the reality of black people.
“There are black people who love sci-fi and who love dreaming about other planets or the universe, and it’s finally giving them a seat at the table and actually being able to see them for who they were this whole time,” she said.
Ndiaye is a member of the Black Students’ Network at McGill, which organized a special, soldout, screening of the movie on Thursday evening.
Growing up, fellow student Chidera Ihejirika said she didn’t see people like her reflected in mainstream culture or the comic books she read.
“For my nine-year-old self, this is a huge deal, because I knew I had the potential to be whatever I could be, but I didn’t see that in the mainstream,” said Ihejirika.
“I had favourite characters, but a lot of time I couldn’t relate to them. I thought, if I’m going to be like Superman, then I’m going to have to change my skin colour or I’m going to have to be more white, whatever that means — it was really confusing as a kid.”
Andreann Asibey, president of the BSN, said the character of Black Panther, and his alter ego T’Challa, are very different than the stereotypes of black people.
“You have someone who has a PhD in physics from Oxford, who is also a king, who can fight well, is super strong and is also really handsome,” Asibey said.
The representation of the character’s home country, the fictional African nation of Wakanda, as a wealthy, scientifically advanced nation that was never colonized is also powerful, she said.
“The film shows that being black in itself isn’t a monolith,” Asibey said.
But it’s not just about what’s on the screen, the fact that a movie like this was made sends a message to black fans that they could find work in films and comic books, she said.
“Comic books are for everyone, you have to make them for everyone,” she said.