In class, we’ve discussed various types of discrimination that have occurred recently or in the distant past. After watching Black Panther I believe a common theme is challenging power structures. As king, we see Killmonger attempt to topple a Western dominated order and topple structures that oppress black people. Overthrowing powers that are unfair and unjust in a society is an important part to a successful society. One of the first units in class this year required us to listen to a Ted Talk carried out by Chimamanda Adiche that pertained to the dangers of a single story. Adiche mentions a common misconception when people first think of African countries, and it has to do with the fact that a lot of people believe that many African countries are labeled as, “Third World.” This ties into perfectly with a certain scene in the movie where the tribe uses vibranium to become a technological superpower, but isolate themselves and hide from society by pretending to be a third world nation. Zoe Kelland, a writer for, “Global Citizen”, debunks the myth that Africa is poor and always will be. One in three Africans are defined as middle class, and whilst many Western economies are in crisis, Africa’s economy continues to grow (Kelland). All in all, Wakanda disguising themselves as poor seems to be a metaphor. The stigma that African countries are predominantly poor is addressed in the movie and we see that societies in Africa can be wealthy. Another theme that I noticed throughout the film was the idea of conflicting identities. In class, we studied the concept of the “Other”, the theory that covers how being a woman is constructed in contrast to being a man, which most cultures have treated as the default fully human type of a person. There is a fundamental tension in the notion of being African American because to be black on some level means not being totally accepted as an American by much of society. Although the concept of the “Other” revolves around women in society, there is a theme here that still depicts African Americans as being the other. After watching the film, I noticed many similarities that we covered in class that appeared to be evident in the movie. I believe that if black populations were untouched by colonization and discrimination, they could’ve advanced in their own cultural context. Killmonger represents those who are aware of this vision and wants to share it with society and specifically black communities that have not been able to succeed under oppression.
Works Cited:
Snyder , Kaija. “Debunking 15 Common Myths and Misconceptions About Africa.” Global Citizen, www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/africans-are-all-poor-and-15-other-myths/.
Hi! Thank you for this context on Black Panther. I also thought a lot about the term Third World and how Wakanda was able to stay hidden under that guise. I also loved there way the movie explored one countries right to ‘fix’ other civilizations because that is something America has often tried to do, but sometimes does more harm than good.
Hello! I really liked your analysis on Black Panther. I actually used the Black Panther movie and Wakanda as an example as well when we previously discussed the Third World in this class when reading Jameson’s Rhetoric of Otherness and the National Allegory by Aijaz Ahmad. I also discussed how places labeled as “Third World” are normally viewed as deprived, lacking experience and a buzzing economy but that is not always true for example India. Later in my discussion I do actually bring up Wakanda and how America sees Wakanda as a struggling country but they are actually just hiding their growth of technology from the rest of the world. Wakanda actually has some of the most highly advanced technologies in the (fictional) world but America does not know that, so it is very similar to Adiche’s single story concept.
This is a great post, I really liked all the comparisons from the film back to concepts that we have learned in class thus far. the concepts in comparison to the film I never put together and I have seen the film multiple times. Thank you for shedding light on these topics within the film.
This is a great analysis on the movie. Although I understand Killmonger’s frustrations, using violence to overthrow societies is obviously a bit extreme. I really liked on how you mentioned how everyone thinks every country in Africa is a third world country, and the Marvel Universe really plays into that stereotype. Wakanda is seen as a poverty driven nation, however if you get inside it is easily the most advanced country in the world. I like how they keep this stealth and never want to get involved with other nations, at least until T’Challa is king and wants to use their resources to help other nations.
I really like what you tied in here with your post, being a technological superpower like Wakanda is completely contradicts the stereotype of a third world country. I think the Marvel universe does a good job of playing into that stereotype throughout the movie, especially when viewed by countries outside of it.
Your post did a great job of digging deep into the film, Black Panther. This is such a popular film, as I have watched it many times, and some of the things you pointed out regarding the meaning of certain scenes and ties to concept I never picked up while watching it. As well, I think the connection you made between the film and the concept we learned about “Third World” countries is a very valid connection. Overall, I think that you dove into tremendous detail about a very popular movie, and pointed out things that many people, including myself, did not pick up while watching it. Due to this, I think your post was very well written and informative.
I really enjoy your post. Wakanda is very powerful and has advanced technology which is very contradict to what people typically think of a Third World country. Using Wakanda to get the audience think about the progression of countries and eliminate stereotype. We should not prejudice towards other countries unless we have experienced it first.