Black Panther Reflection

The Black Panther movie is finally upon on us. For the first time in 20 years, an African-American driven superhero movie will grace the screens. Black Panther will surely have an extreme impact on the African-American community. Here’s a rundown of the importance of the movie.

The importance of this movie is felt in minorities around the world. Dylan Gatua, an African-American student at West Ranch, said,
“The importance of having an African American superhero in the form of Black Panther for minorities is to give hope and a sense of destination. The hope that people look beyond the minority stereotype and see that a minority can have role model qualities while holding the tradition or culture. The sense of destination that shows how far

This movie is coming at a time of racial tensions in the USA, so having a black superhero in his own movie marks a sign of change and a major win for the African-American community. Joe Robert Cole, the writer of Black Panther, said this about the social impact of Black Panther: “Black Panther is a historic opportunity to be a part of something important and special, particularly at a time when African Americans are affirming their identities while dealing with vilification and dehumanization. The image of a black hero on this scale is just really exciting,” The movie gives young kids something to strive for. Especially minorities, they have a role model who looks like them and shows of the best of them. It also gives them the courage to push through each day, and strive for greatness. To become like the King of

Letitia Wright, an actor in Black Panther, said, “I'm excited for what Black Panther is about to do, not just for young black boys and girls, but for everyone. There's a black superhero, but then we're going to have more Asian superheroes and more from India. The solution to the problem is: We don't have enough of this, so we're going to make more. I'm excited!” With the success of this movie, other minority led films will actually be taken seriously and watched. This movie also disproves the myth that movies led by African-Americans do not sell well, as it had a $242 million dollar domestic four-day opening, according to CNN. With the success of Black Panther, it will lead to more opportunities for minorities to star in big blockbusters. Marissa Tinsley, a long-time Marvel fan and student at this school, states that this movie is important for minorities all around the world, not just right now but for future generations. “It also makes me think that perhaps maybe more POC will have the opportunities to not only star in films, but also take the lead in their everyday life, inspire future generations, and just be who they are. Living their lives and stories and knowing that they're universal and