Belated Analysis: Black Panther, African Ancestry & Tribal Roots (Times 5‽ )
No, this is not another review of the movie Black Panther (as the world does not need another in-depth analysis of Marvel’s most melanin movie), but rather a hindsight observation of the film’s impact upon my life.
Note: Cue the Wakanda music please.
After experiencing Black Panther in theaters, I noticed two things about my new altered state of mind:
- I acquired an odd desire to wear jewelry (previously I scoffed at the idea of wearing anything that lacked practical application)
- An intense obsession to know which tribe I hailed from was birthed within me (to the point of affecting my sleeping patterns)
Before Black Panther, the only pieces of ”jewelry” that I wore was the Apple Watch & Leatherman Tread.
I wore the Apple Watch due to its ability to track my exercise habits & as a bonus monitor my heart health via EKG readings (the latter is due to the Kardia Band by Alive Cor).
The Leatherman Tread’s usefulness as my primary Hex Key tool made it an EDC (Every Day Carry) item, & as a bonus, it could cut up boxes, open up my iPhone sim card sans paper clip, open up annoying bottle caps, etcetera.
After watching Black Panther, an emotion to acquire ”vanity wear” jewelry manifested, although I was selective in which items I wore.
Simple, elegant pieces that inspire was my desire, although out of a sense of duty to support the newly minted Wakandan franchise I opted only to purchase licensed Marvel goods.
Using T’Challa as a blueprint, I ended up purchasing:
- The Ultimate Claw Necklace by Douriean Fletcher
- Wakandan Kimoyo Beads by Rock Love Jewelry
- Wakandan Royal Ring (movie style which is only on Amazon) by What’s Your Passion Jewelry
- A Black Panther hat from Bioworld
Why these items‽
Black Panther’s necklace reminded me of the power of African culture which can be used for good or (in KillMonger’s case) for evil.
Douriean Fletcher (who was a jeweler for the Black Panther movie) captured this perfectly with her Ultimate Claw Necklace.
Wakandan Kimoyo Beads are (at their essence) an advanced Apple Watch.
However, they do remind me that communicating & connecting with my fellow Africans (both in the Diaspora as well as the those privileged to live on the continent) is a healthy experience that I should not ignore.
The Royal Wakandan Ring reminds me of my ancestral heritage as an African & despite my separation from the continent (due to the historic slave trade), I will always be African no matter where I travel upon this Earth.
Why the Black Panther hat‽ I just like hats, that’s all! Plus I enjoy displaying my passion via a cap (which I do to the annoyance of New England Patriots haters).
A Tribal Pursuit‽
After watching Black Panther the desire to discover my ancestry increased to obsessive levels.
Unfortunately, (at the time) I believed that is was nearly impossible to identify which tribe or various tribes I hailed from due to:
- The lack of genealogical records due to the trans-Atlantic slave trade
- Lack of focus by geneticists on retracing ancient African DNA (unlike European or Native American DNA)
Fruitless Google searches of ”African ancestry” pulled up unsatisfying results from folks using 23andme & Ancestry.com (as both lobbed Africans into general regions of the continent).
Fortunately, Chadwick Boseman of Black Panther fame spoke about a company that could help end my quest & help me find my tribe!
African Ancestry boasted that they could not only help locate which countries my ancestry hailed from but also identify the respective tribes as well.
Note: As a bonus African Ancestry (as my brother just mentioned as I was typing this post) respects genetic privacy & destroys your sample after your DNA is analyzed.
I was excited until I saw the price of the tests (which were three times more expensive than rivals).
However, I immediately felt shame because I was willing to spend over $500 on an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch (which I would ditch two years later), but hesitated at paying for both tests whose information would affect me for the rest my life.
Image via Mac Observer
Instead of acquiring a new iPad I decided to purchase both tests.
- Patriarchal kit to analyze my Y chromosome
- Matriarchal kit to analyze the mitochondrial DNA on my X chromosome
After two months of (im)patiently waiting, African Ancestry mailed back my results with the following revelations.
The Patriarchy
Yoruba (in Nigeria) was the only tribe discovered on my Father’s side, & to my surprise, there are a lot of us! Over 40 million in fact!
After discovering my Yoruba heritage, my desire for Wakandan wear was replaced by an interest in traditional Yoruba outfits.
I discovered a few interesting outfits on Etsy as well as Afrikrea (created by Nigerians nonetheless), which I will try to obtain as soon as my funds allow.
Matriarchal Mega Genes‽
Update: African Ancestry informed me of a fifth tribe on my X-Chromosome that they forgot to mention! Updated results below!
Update: African Ancestry informed me of another tribe on my X-chromosome!
My genes on the X chromosome (within the mitochondria DNA) revealed a greater African diversity which included:
- Fula tribe residing in Guinea-Bissau
- Mende tribe in Sierra Leone
- Temne tribe in Sierra Leone
- Kpelle tribe in Liberia
- Mandinka tribe from Senegal
I was excited about being related to two tribes within the same country in Sierra Leone (as it will cut down on future travel expenses) until I discovered that both tribes are rivals & have a history of fighting each other.
The Fula & Mandinka tribes, however, reside in neighboring nations (as Guinea-Bissau & Senegal border each other), so exploring both in person should be more comfortable on the bank account.
Update: Kpelle in Liberia is next to Sierra Leone, which should make planning a trip to Africa even more interesting.
What’s Next‽
Visiting these tribes is the next step, although until I travel there, I will continue to share my results with my friends & family (the latter who are more excited about the results than I am).
Also…Wakanda Forever! I just had to say it! LOL! (although now I am in the mood to watch Black Panther again)
