Twitter trolls mar Black Panther debut

As Marvel’s latest superhero movie, Black Panther, draws praise and rakes in millions of dollars at the box office, Twitter trolls have emerged across the country attempting to stoke racial division by spreading false reports about the film’s African American fans.

Over the last few days, users have posted false claims that they were attacked by Black people while going to see Black Panther, the first movie from Marvel Studios led by a predominantly Black cast.

“It’s very unfortunate that a film that is poised to become a cultural icon is being marred by this fake news,” said Darnell Hunt, dean of social sciences at UCLA. “In the long run, it will not detract from the cultural significance of Black Panther, but it does blunt some of the positive force it has as it opens. It is both surprising and not surprising.”

Black Panther is the story of T’Challa, played by actor Chadwick Boseman, who returns home to Wakanda, an isolated, technologically advanced African nation, after his father, the king of Wakanda, dies and T’Challa must take his place as ruler.

The movie, which took in an estimated $192 million (U.S.) over the weekend domestically has been embraced by African Americans and Black people around the world. Many have been turning up at movie houses in African garb or wearing all black in homage to the film. But it has given birth to an unusual movement: white people claiming they have been attacked by Black people while attempting to see the film.

Police departments in New York, L.A., Chicago and Houston said they received no reports that would match the assault claims appearing online. In the tweets, the posters frequently blame “Black youth” for the attacks, using images taken from various unrelated sources of bleeding and battered faces or images of blood in sinks and on towels.