Week 13: The Parallels Between Wakanda in Black Panther and the African Continent in the Real World

When individuals from Western nations, like America, are asked to recall their knowledge about the African continent, many tend to describe the nation as impoverished, disadvantaged, and in need of assistance from wealthier, entitled countries. This narrative isn’t new, as many mainstream media outlets still tend to focus on the corruption, famine, armed conflict, and diseases that exist in Africa and intentionally exclude the actions of Western colonizers in Africa that have contributed to these circumstances (Schreiber, 2019). The historical component to this story is critical. The “Scramble for Africa” began between the years 1884 and 1885 and continued until 1914 (St. John’s College, n.d.). This conquest entailed the colonization of Africa by the United States and thirteen European nations with the ultimate goal of acquiring Africa’s raw materials to help exploit the industrial revolution back home (St. John’s College, n.d.). Colonial control facilitated the construction of railways, induced large inflows of European investment, and forced profound changes in the operation of labor and land markets (Frankema, 2015). Eventually, the African continent was stripped of its dignity as European and American colonizers invaded the country with no regards to the already established African tribes, villages, and culture (St. John’s College). 

Through this week’s content, we learn that the disruption of African customs and dehumanization of African citizens can be compared to the story told in Black Panther about their precious country of Wakanda. To the Western world, the African nation of Wakanda is useless. Western nations view it as impoverished and in need of assistance, as they believe it possesses no form of wealth or value. However, this image is false, and Wakanda is extremely wealthy, advanced, and is home to the world’s strongest metal, vibranium. The ignorance that many Westerners possess is evident in Black Panther when CIA Agent Ross struggles to believe Klaw’s argument that Wakanda has an extensive amount of vibranium. Why would the Wakandans work to create such a distasteful and inaccurate image of their country? Because they fear that the same thing that happened to other African nations (i.e. what happened to African countries in the real world) will happen to them. They have recognized that if they reveal the true value of their country and its precious vibranium metal, then Western colonizers might try to exploit the country for the rare and powerful resource whilst disregarding the natives of the country (Lu, 2018). The Wakandans feel more comfortable being isolated and free of interference than having their country stripped of its precious culture, customs, and overall way of living by Western colonizers, even if it means that they look unprofitable to outsiders. 

While Wakanda is a fictional country, as critical learners, we must recognize that it is a symbol for the colonization that occurred in Africa in real life and the circumstances that occurred as a result. As we analyze the economic state of certain African countries today, we must not ignore the factors that contributed to the current state. Our film for this week helps shed light on this topic and tells the story from the point of view of those who fear being colonized, not the colonizers. Through this lens, we gain insight on the true implications of European and American colonization and what colonial control entails for those living in African nations. Ultimately, Black Panther and the story of Wakanda represent the ignorance and greed of colonizers while also demonstrating the unfortunate reality of those nations who diligently work to protect themselves from the possibility of being colonized.  

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