A One-Way Trip to Wakanda
Greetings from Wakanda! I am feeling rather proud, uplifted, and empowered. Let me first say, WAKAND FOREVER.
I have never seen a movie that makes me feel the way I do, at this moment. The movie ended over an hour ago and I still don’t know how I feel. This is not to say that I did not like the movie, but I do not know how to express how I feel. I am proud that a film centered around Black people was written and directed by us.
From the shades of Black skin to the intricate hairstyles, I saw myself in these characters. I know it may seem minor, but it felt good to be able to name the styles that the Wakandans rocked. These are styles that Black women get ridiculed for wearing while the Kardashians and other non-Blacks get praised for being “trendy.”
Representation matters! I’ve never seen more Black people on-camera with meaningful lines since binge watching Alex Haley’s Roots during a winter storm that occurred in my freshman year of high school. Those two images are so different from each other. One offers a perspective about West African life during slavery and what the lives of those who were captured were like after arriving on American soil. The other offers the perfect “what if” scenario. What if there was a successful nation of Black people that managed to not be colonized by White people? What would that look like?
It would look like Wakanda. Or, at least I would hope it would. I mean, who doesn’t want to live in a country that is rich with culture while being the most technologically advanced country in the world? Shoot, if I could, I would honestly book a flight to Wakanda and not look back. It’s just that perfect.
I am going to take more time to process the film and hope to return to it for the next post. There’s just so much more for me to process and only time will allow me to do so. Until next, WAKANDA FOREVER!
