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/.