Wakanda – A Euphemism for African Renaissance”?

By Kevin Korgba

The ‘Black Panther’ movie has made such an impact within barely 2 weeks of its release and this impact has been on a number of levels – financial, cultural, social, cinematic…! The most outwardly evident impact has been on the black/African demographic (particularly in the U.S.), with good reason of course. But many (including within the black/African community) have questioned and indeed jeered at what all the “hype” is about. I will try and break this down as best I can.

 So if we look at this on a purely superficial level, Black Panther was a damned good movie and the MCU (stands for Marvel Cinematic Universe, for those not in-the-know) have hit another home run with this one. Imagine a Hollywood (or TV generally), where there was adequate representation of strong, positive and successful black characters, as well as strong female characters in leadership positions, imagine that the playing field was somewhat more level than the status quo – even in that world, Black Panther would be a stunning movie to watch from a script, acting, action comedy and all round badass perspective. And it just so happens that this movie was made with a majority black cast and has still been this successful. To understand my last sentence, here’s a quote from the Hollywood Reporter website:

“While Back Panther isn’t the sensation internationally that it is in the U.S., it came in ahead of expectations for an American film with a black cast.”

 I’ll just let that sink in a little.

 Now let’s attempt to get just a tiny bit more cerebral about it.

 From a business/economic point of view, Disney and Marvel Studios have executed their business strategy with precision. They did their homework as far as market research and marketing are concerned. They understood how to service their existing client base – the comic book reading, superhero loving, “I’m dressing up and going to the Comi-Con convention” type people like me (ok so I’ve never dressed up and/or gone to a Comi-Con but you see where I’m going with this)- while at the same time pulling in a very specific (and possibly new) customer base – the black/African customer who ordinarily may or may not be too bothered about the release of yet another superhero movie but is now so keen on going to see the movie, and even dressing up in “African attire” to do so. Additionally, the movie so far has been viewed by more women than usual for this genre of film (according to comScor 45 percent of all ticket buyers were women - that share is usually 35 to 40 percent on a superhero movie's opening weekend). As a trickle down, can you imagine what the sales for the likes of Ankara, Dashiki and Kente type garments will be like (particularly in the USA) over the next few weeks/months (hint, hint..)? And for those who like numbers, here are a few more statistics from the Hollywood Reporter online:

 ·     Cost of making Black Panther (before marketing) - $200m

·     Opening 4 days at Box Office (North America only) - $241.6m, more than any movie in history, except Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($288.1m)

·     Global debut - $426.6m. This was without opening in Russia, Japan and China, which had their opening days on Feb 22, March 1 and March 9th respectively.

·     In the U.S., 37% of ticket buyers were African American (usually 15% on average), 35% were Caucasian and 18% were Hispanic – “That sort of demographic breakdown is unheard of for an all-audience event film.” -

Stats Source: Hollywood Reporter

Now I don’t care who you are, these are some very impressive numbers!

 From a socio-cultural point of view, many Africans have always felt that African culture(s) and tradition(s) are never done justice or portrayed in a positive enough light, and for too long Africa has been synonymous with war, poverty, famine, aid and a host of other negatives. I mean, have you ever wondered why time and again, whether in movies or in TV series every African character’s accent sounds almost the same? That really weird accent with a sort of Nigerian-esque leaning, whether the character is supposed to be from Ghana, Kenya or Uganda! It is likely just another symptom of viewing Africa through a homogenous lens.

 The Black Panther movie is possibly the first time a representation of Africa has been so positive that, though Wakanda is a small, sovereign fictional country, it has been able to capture and encapsulate multiple cultures and traditions from across the continent, and present them in such an inclusive manner that it speaks to such a wide diversity of Africans and non-Africans alike. And if you’re interested in getting a better understanding of the various cultures and traditional attires depicted in the movie and where they come from, have a look at a young lady on twitter by the name of ‘Waris’ with twitter handle @diasporicblues. She gives a brilliant breakdown!

 For the more “conscious” mind, the movie presents an alternative view of a non-colonised Africa, an Africa completely untouched by the “benevolence” of the Western world and so has developed completely on it’s own. With racism still being at the forefront of daily life, you can understand why the escape of existing in a Wakanda, albeit for just a couple of hours, would strike such a strong cord with the African American community in the U.S. who, among others, have been at the receiving end of racism for so long.

 From a political and leadership point of view, in the eyes of many and possibly for the first time, Wakanda portrays very strong and capable leaders who are actually willing to make sacrifices for their people – a far cry from the corrupt, crony filled (and in some cases, puppet) leadership that has blighted the continent for so long. Also, the leaders in the movie are very relatable as characters, and this actually includes the bad guys! This is not to say there aren’t or haven’t been strong, relatable leaders in Africa by the way. But I think the stand out aspect of leadership portrayal in this movie has to go to the number of very strong, female characters/leaders. And just as an aside, my favourite leader (and character) in the movie is General Okoye – Leader of the Dora Milaje and Head of the Wakandan Armed Forces & Intel! She is an ultimate badass!!!

 Another perspective is that the Back Panther movie represents the concept of ‘the African Renaisance’ – a concept that has been dreamed of for many years by many Africans, and was first articulated by the Senegales historian, anthropologist, physicist, and politician - Sheik Anta Diop in 1946 in his book ‘Towards the African Renaissance: Essays in Culture and Development, 1946-1960.’ It is the concept that African people and nations will overcome the current challenges confronting the continent and achieve cultural, scientific, and economic renewal.

 I am sure there are many more in-depth ways to analyse Black Panther and the sudden ‘Wakanda madness’ and to some it’s not a big deal, after all, it’s only a movie; to others it might be one, all or more of the things I have mentioned above but whatever your take on it is, always remember that perception is an incredibly powerful decision making tool and how you (individually, as a business, as a country or as a people) are perceived will greatly impact how others engage with you. But more importantly, how you perceive yourself will greatly impact how you ensure that others engage with you. Let us not underestimate what meaning and impact a movie like this has to many young minds about their self worth and their ability to dream (and achieve).

 For me, I am a proud African of the Tiv tribe from the North Central region of Nigeria in West Africa and, though I never needed a movie to validate me, if I did, I could not have asked for a better starting point than the Black Panther movie and I will certainly be watching it again (and buying the dvd)!

 Wakanda Forever!!!