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Black Panther: “Its A Black Thing - Not Really"
- I've sat back and watched the excitement for the new movie Black Panther and wondered what am I missing. I'm shocked and quite frankly disappointed that somehow this new Marvel Comic film is being heralded as a watershed moment for black people. Why exactly? Isn’t this fictional character a part of a collective Wonder Team? Well what happened to there’s no I in team? Wasn’t the character created by Stan Lee (white Marvel Comics writer) and the movie brought to the Big Screen by Disney? Yet somehow this is conflated into a black thing? evening garments of the formal style

And what of this Hercules..Hercules it’s a black movie with “us” in it talk? What we’ve not been in movies before? We've not starred in movies before? We've not had the lead in movies before? We've not directed, produced written or had all black casts before? None of that is true. Regarding all black cast - why is that so important? Black actors have been nominated and won Oscars in ensemble casts. So is the new criteria all black casts now? I thought that wasn’t ok for them to do. (Oscars so white) Ijs

While the attached link is not an official ranking, it does clearly show the consistent portrayal of stories for people of color. And can I make another point? All story’s can’t be Winning stories. Movies portray life. When did that become a problem. Pursuit of Happiness didn’t tell a good story? Hidden Figures didn’t tell a good story? I’m just asking.

I just refuse to undermine the art that came before the film Black Panther as somehow being less than. In fact I will not undermine the performances of Cicely Tyson, Viola Davis or Dianne Carol. I will not act as if Denzel, Sydney Portier or Forest Whitaker were just Ok. I'm not asking why all the excitement for this new film, but I am asking why the amnesia?

For this fantasy film to be deemed the inspirational story for the black community - and not the real stories that came before it, is kind of revealing on what reality one is willing to grasp and embrace. I won't even address the antics and adorning going on at the theaters.

Are we as a community still that self esteem deficient? As a parent, or pastor, aunt/uncle or grandparent I would be offended. I thought we crossed this threshold with the first black President. If every generation now has an identity crisis and in need of an I’m black and I’m proud pep pill - who’s failing the community really?

I even heard the Facebook Dr. say Disney should donate 25% of the movies proceeds back to the black community. Why because we supported a movie? This is art, and is certainly worthy to be called Rocky like inspirational, but Italians didn’t earn proceeds because a movie put shine on their community and they didn’t show up at theaters dressed like Rocky Balboa, Apollo Creed and Adrian. Enjoy the movies.- Ron Lee