Black Panther Love Lost.

I went to see Black Panther tonight. I left with many mixed emotions. Part of me is very happy to see one of my favorite comic book characters origin told. Albeit not on the East Coast…NYC People NYC, NOT LA! While Stan Lee’s original cartoon character was wealthy, educated, a man of science, business, and with physical strength and martial arts power. The movie broke up all these characteristics across many characters in Wakanda. While I understand the reason. I was disappointed because Stan Lee was making a very critical statement with Tchalla as a character and his placement during 1968 and race riots and the changing role of Black men in particular in society during that time. The fact that Stan was in the movie at least gave the OK to the change.

I was very stunned that the writers decided to simply go for it in discussing the big themes of Black America’s experience. The gang warfare, the violence and its impact on Black America. The big theme of being of but separate from Africa and how Wakanda while in our hearts, in reality, is but a dream that can never be returned due to slavery. Michael B Jordan, literally acted the experience of Black America and his final line of wanting to be thrown into the ocean like other Blacks who died on the crossing over was fitting, poignant and I almost cried. It said what many Blacks have had to live with in our hearts generation after generation.

The writers clearly did their research and understood that slavery was a two way transaction with longstanding consequences. It wouldn’t matter if we came home to the continent. Home isn’t there and in the end our African dreams died in route between there and North America where we struggle to make a life as nomads not truly accepted wholly by our adopted country but long since forgotten as lost by the old one. The script handled these themes with grace and exposed still lingering sores. This movie needed to be made now. It was right time and right set of circumstances. I would recommend seeing this movie. It is very deep and much like Captain America addresses who we are as a country.