Today I came across a Facebook post that seemed to suggest we should be more supportive of The Birth of a Nation and similar films than Black Panther. I've also come across posts that are not such big fans of people dressing up for Black Panther. In fact, I've seen quite a few posts from other Black people trying to tell those of us who are more excited than most how we are or are not allowed to be excited (Why do you have to dress up? Have you been to a country in Africa? Do you know if that's authentic attire you're wearing?...and so on...). My question for those trying to tell me and others how to celebrate a film we are excited about is, why do you think you can tell me how to celebrate Black Panther and will you be posing these questions when Han Solo: A Star Wars Story comes out (Why are you dressed like Han Solo? Have you been to outer space? Do you know if astronauts really wear that material?)?
I didn't want to post that on Facebook, because what bothers me the most about it is Black Panther just came out. Can you give us time to celebrate and have fun before you come rain on our parade? So I didn't want to put any additional negativity out there. However, my comment on the aforementioned sharing of the post suggesting Black people are too excited for Black Panther and weren't excited enough about The Birth of a Nation got rather long, and I recalled it was the very reason I created this platform. So without further ado (with the addition of photos):
I was excited for both films well before they came out, and loved both! And yes, I dressed up for Black Panther, like so many do for their favorite superhero films. Why can't we? Why can't we dress up? Why can't we get excited and celebrate a fun experience without people trying to dictate how we do so? But further, what that list is lacking, is recognition that this film is full of powerful portrayals of Black people (especially Black women, especially Black women with more melanin than usually accepted in Hollywood), is full of amazing Black actors, is written and directed by an amazing Black man, and most importantly, is speaking to topics and conversations that are very accurate and relevant for Black people.
Accurate?? The film incorporates an actual African language, specifically ixiXhosa, a language spoken by 8 million South Africans (and spoken by Nelson Mandela). The cultures of various tribes in Africa were incorporated in the film. The message about what Black people have been facing in America, is real (in fact part of the reason I'm lightweight Team Killmonger).
Seeing a Black woman over all of the technology that makes Wakanda the most technological country in the world, seems about right to me given Black women in America are the most educated group in the country (also see the amazing women from Hidden Figures). Seems like an accurate portrayal of what we can do. Also seems like an accurate portrayal of what a country in Africa that was never colonialized could look like.
I appreciate films like The Birth of a Nation, because I love our history (I majored in it in college). And it is something to see portrayals of Black people that actually existed, and how they fought back and/or overcame even tougher conditions than we face. However, don't be fooled. Even those films change the stories (the scene where Kevin Costner knocks down the White Only bathroom sign in Hidden Figures...that NEVER happened). But that doesn't mean that there is nothing for us to gain from both types of films, those sharing the stories about our heroes (whether they were real or made up), as long as they uplift, empower, and educate. Speaking of education, I love it when we have a mainstream film like Black Panther, because honestly it's not just about us seeing the reflection of ourselves. It's about others seeing positive and amazing reflections of us, to counter all the other negative portrayals they put out about us. And frankly, why shouldn't we love being able to see our amazingness on the big screen without us being a slave or in segregation.
I loved seeing us being our normal amazing selves in a film where we had a country where that was just to be expected! I want to see more of both films, and the only way to keep getting more with great quality and stories is to show up in the box office. So I bought my tickets to The Birth of a Nation, Selma, Hidden Figures AND Fences, Get Out, and Black Panther! And let us not forget films like Best Man Holiday and Girls Trip! Let's support them all (and be as extra as we want, the cinema is supposed to be fun)!!
