Dear Black People
(and everyone else who is anti-prejudice),
Yesterday (16th October 2017) I got the chance to watch
the new trailer for Black Panther. I must admit it was freaking spectacular and
if it flops it will be all our fault. Yes, I said it will be OUR fault. We will
no longer be able to blame main stream Hollywood or the system or “the man”. It
will be wholly on our heads. Those of us who say Hollywood is not black enough or
we as black people are depicted only in specific ways and stereotypes. There are
many reasons given as to way main stream does not have black characters from
comics to movies. The biggest one is that they do not sell. There is no market
for them, the characters are not accepted blah blah blah. Now I will not get
into the spending habits of black people and all that. I must say that BLACK
PANTHER IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR CULTURE AND PEOPLE. Now there are many things
going on in the world that are messed up. I am not negating them this article
is focusing on a specific issue and problem so do not bring in other aspects
when you read this. I understand that there have been critics about the
language used when Black Panther was introduced and geographical location but
you do know that it is a work of fiction right? and as such it is allowed all
levels of imagination and artistic freedom.
I am an avid reader of manga’s and
watcher of anime (some think of me as an OTAKU) but I simply have a passion for
them. I also know which superheroes are under Marvel, DC and unaffiliated
heroes and the none mainstream ones. There are very few positive black
characters in the manga’s and comics and not that much representation on the
screen (I mean video games characters are evil the darker they are e.g. evil
Ken and Ryu from street fighter yeah, we are represented badly). I have also
been lucky enough to go to a few cosplay events (In Finland). What I noticed
was that there are not that many black superheroes and people do not generally
cosplay as black characters. Even with Black Panther coming out no one dressed
like him in the last cosplay I went to (which was a few weeks ago where no one
cosplayed a black character). I mean coplayers even gender bend but not many go
as black superheroes (even the main stream ones and popular ones such as Black
Panther, Luke Cage, Blade, Storm, Green Lantern aka John Stewart, Cyborg). But
black people do cosplay as other characters regardless of gender or ethnicity.
Overtime we are noticing a shift in
black representation and other minorities in the film and graphic novel world.
Just recently Spiderman Homecoming introduces us to a new MJ, before that we
had Johnny Storm a.k.a Human Torch and even one Nick Fury was originally white
in the comics. I also think that we can sway the academy awards if we sell.
Halle Berry and Denzel Washington have awards but she got it when she got naked
in Monster’s Ball and he when he played a bad guy in Training Day. I do know
for a fact that those were not their best performances. They have both made me
cry in other performances. Then there is Lupita Nyong’o a brilliant actress since
her days in SHUGA (suggested watch) who also won an award for a supporting role
in a movie about slavery. See a theme there. This is not to say that African
American thespians (Sidney Poitier, Whoopi Goldberg to mention a couple) have
not won awards whilst playing incredible characters but we get short changed by
being supporting roles (winning some and nominated for many) when in truth the
black thespian literally carried the movie. This covers everything in the
movies from the screenplay, script, music, wardrobe, acting etc. Keep this in
mind as I go on to Black Panther.
Black Panther is a celebration of
Blackness. It is centred around an African kingdom that has advanced more than
the west. It pays homage to blackness in the form of nature, dressing, body
markings, hair (natural, kinky, dreaded, bald). It has a part in there that
resembles the Lion King where Simba is told by his father to remember who he
is. It has an all-black cast and even some crew that oversee important aspects
of the movie. It is celebrating a black superhero not as part of something but
as a whole. The character Black Panther as the hero. It is celebrating black
women, our mother, daughters, sisters and wives. It is a celebration of US. So
why would you bootleg and torrent that and lessen the sales. When it represents
us. Why not go to the movies with your black pride, hair out, wearing the most
culturally comfortable (this part is crucial cause some of our outfits are for
show and not for sitting in a theatre for 2 hours) outfit you have. Make it a
success. Help it thrive because when it does then there will be more
representation in main stream Hollywood of us. If they see there is money to be
made in the positive representation of black people in movies that would even
enable the characters in some comics and graphic novels (for instance those
from NUBIAMANCY check it out please) will get screen time. And authors may
start making more black characters in their comic, graphic novels and manga’s.
This is the start of the movement so that when our kids or grandkids want to
dress up they will no longer have the same options of being either one of the
Avengers or Justice League (Cyborg is black so his fine to dress up as) but
they have black characters to be and even to get to a point that the other
ethnicities want to dress up as the cool black character.
If I manage to get 2
people to do this and they get two people and so on then we will reach many
more. So, talk to your mates about it, share the article if you think it is
worth a read but most importantly spread the word, FEBRUARY 16th (or
whichever date it shows in a theatre near you) let the lines be longer than the
ones for Star Wars or for getting the new iPhone. Let it be soooo packed and
demanded that they must add extra weeks for the movie to show at the cinemas.
And just for the record if you pirate it, WE ARE SNITCHING and NO SPOILERS if
your mates have yet to watch. This is also a way for us to fight, to change the
perspective, to regain our SELF.
Jah Bless
