Why We Need Black Panther

A while back I had an interesting interaction.

I am not "fuming" from it, although others might have been in the same situation. Instead I feel rather calm but impassioned about the whole thing (in part because I know that I was in the right, and that he was left furious at the end because I was, well, in the right. And everything I said stumped him).

Over the summer I experienced Free Comic Book Day, and right before it I found an AWESOME Black Panther T-Shirt at Walmart for $5. I was overjoyed at the find, honestly!

So I wore it that day with a hip new green dress and some ballet-style flats with crossover strings and all in all was feeling pretty cool while also very much nerdy. :)

I went to Free Comic Book Day and picked up some awesome titles. I went to a Writing Group Meetup and did some really productive writing for an hour at the Watchtower Cafe! (Which is a legit place to go on a date if you're a nerd or geek, let me tell you. BEAUTIFULLY nerdy place. I loved it!)

Getting home on public transit took a little longer, and I seemed to miss every bus that I needed to catch. Eventually I was waiting for my last bus. I had been reading a book while standing, and a gentleman was nearby, with a crutch under one arm.

He approached me in order to compliment my backpack, as a lot of people do (it's shaped like a book. I'm used to people commenting on it), but then saw my T-Shirt.

Then he immediately said that he hated the movie, and that it was condescending.

I said, "that's too bad" that he didn't like it. And expressed that I had really enjoyed it as a representation of what should have been (had slavery never happened, which is a part of history that always breaks my heart) and what could be in the future! I feel like it's an optimistic vision. :D

Of course, I didn't get far enough to state that last sentence because he took that as an invitation to launch into his opinion about how it's condescending, and that it promotes segregation because it's giving those who are African their own movie.

Excuse me, what?

I was seriously shocked but got some rejoiners in.

I mentioned that Black Panther has actually existed since the 1970's, to which he had no comment except to say, "well, it's existed since the Seventies, then, huh?"

He then went on to pontificate that it was similar to those who have disabilities (shifting his crutch slightly), and how they don't like the spotlight on them. That having a movie all about a single group actually makes things worse.

I have a couple of friends who have disabilities that don't like that kind of focus, which is very true, but that is not always the case. Especially when it comes to those with multiple disabilities--sometimes you need the focus in order for their voice to be heard. For example, the Deaf community is very vocal about their rights, but the Deaf-Blind community is virtually unrepresented, as the minority of all disability minorities because they are so small.

Thinking on this, I commented that I worked with individuals who are deaf and blind and that many are in wheel chairs, but that don't we have the Special Olympics and the Olympics for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and that it gives them the opportunity to really shine?

I also said that he is allowed to have his opinion, but I am allowed mine, and he has a different stand than I do. He took the opportunity to say, "what is that supposed to mean?" Trying to use is as a springboard to jump down my throat about me possibly saying that he, as a person with disabilities, "must" have a different standpoint. I quickly and calmly corralled the conversation and just said that he has different life experiences and that I have different life experiences and therefore we are allowed different opinions.

He ignored this and changed the topic. Discussing how 'don't I know that blacks put themselves in slavery?!'

Excuse me.

Then, thinking he had caught me in a lack of knowledge, he talked about how those in Africa would capture their enemies and then sell them into slavery. I countered by saying that, yes, that had happened (I am pretty familiar with history) but that they had to have buyers and that the Italians and Spaniards and English definitely had a part in things.

 (Okay, I just looked it up, and I was wrong about Italy. They didn't really play a part. But Spain and England and America were all heavy-hitters.)


This is when his face blew up like a bullfrog in anger. Because he couldn't counter that fact.

When people are in the wrong, and especially when they know it, they get angry and they get defensive.

From that point on the conversation devolved into him arguing about how I wasn't allowing him to have an opinion and that I had talked over him and that I was super-rude and that this is why he hated talking about race and that I apparently won't allow anyone's opinions others than my own.

Thankfully the bus came right then, because I was honestly ready to walk. And that was saying something--my cute little ballet flats were absolutely KILLING my feet (when I got home I had some blister-level rawness going on).

But I also was remarkably calm about the whole thing. Even now I don't feel angry--more stunned and puzzled and alarmed. And shocked that I just met someone so blatantly Racist...and he probably has no idea that he actually is Racist. :|

When I put on my Black Panther T-shirt that morning I was excited. I love the movie so much that I just HAD to wear it.

I love the characters. I love the story-line. I love the world-building and the brilliant array of traditional clothing and how it all ties back to different nations in Africa (I read an article about the work they did to aim for accuracy. I was impressed!). I love the strong females and the self-sacrificing, honorable males and the wonderful brother-sister dynamic. One that is healthy and funny and supportive. I love the gags and I love the fight scenes and I absolutely adore Chadwick Boseman for his sensitive portrayal of T'Challa.

Also Letitia Wright as Shuri is the best thing in this world. LOVE HER.

And Michael B. Jordan is the hottest villain I have seen. Hotter than Loki. He is...so hot.

HAWT. O__O

Look, I said it. He is hotter than Loki. And his motives are justified, in a tragic way. Just like Loki.

But I don't love Black Panther because I HAVE TO. I don't love Black Panther because it is POLITICALLY CORRECT to do so. I don't love Black Panther because it's the RIGHT THING TO DO.

I love Black Panther because it is Black Panther. Because it is awesome. Which is the way that it should be.

We need Black Panther. We need Moana. We need Miles Morales as Spiderman and MJ being played by Zendaya (speaking of awesome people that I would love to meet...) and freaking awesome Idris Elba as Heimdall. We NEED REPRESENTATION. So that People of Color are not just "Token" anything.

People in real life are never "Token" anything. They are just people; friends, neighbors, teachers, coworkers, business partners, people that go shopping and have lives and relationships and jobs of their own. And we're all a part of one another's life experiences. Why can't movies represent reality?

In the past only White characters dominated the scene, so when kids of all races looked at Hollywood's version of "beauty" and "strength" all they saw was what they couldn't be. Now we're to the point where

Having a whole bunch of white superheroes representing a nation that is also Latino, Asian, Middle-Eastern, European of all types (North, Central, East, West), and most DEFINITELY Black makes absolutely freaking no sense at all. :| It just doesn't.

This is why we need Black Panther.