Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Black Panther Was A White Man’s Perspective.

February 19, 2018 by  
Filed under Ent., News, Opinion, Politics, Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) Recently I went to see Black Panther and paid close attention to every minute. I applaud the African and African American actors. The movie was action packed and humorous at times. Word like nobility, honor, passion, action, family, discipline, order and allegiance come to mind. But there are a few things many people are missing – and those few things are disturbing.

Here is problem number 1. Even in the midst of an advanced African civilization, sure enough a Caucasian man plays the role of a savior. He is a CIA agent from the outside who shoots down all the ships leaving Wakanda to spread advanced weapons around the world to African nations and oppressed African Americans. So the “white” man single handedly stops all the ships. The agent flies one of their ships he has never even sat in before. Yet he is made to be so competent that he can shot down Wakanda ships flown by Wakanda pilots whose people have had the technology for centuries. That is a problem and makes him seem superior to Wakanda pilots.

Here is problem number 2. Then there is feminism that has crept into the movie. The female actresses are strong, honorable, capable and highly intelligent but that is not the problem. The problem here is that female body guards for the King, a female army and a female general just are not realistic in real African warrior nations. Maybe that works in Wonder Woman but that is clearly not the culture of African nations. As a matter of fact and accuracy, African women are very valuable to families, Kings and kingdoms. But not to the extent that they have to repeatedly protect, guard and save African male warriors. Unrealistic.

Here is problem number 3. Why was it necessary for the writer to have Africans fighting and killing other Africans? Yes that happens throughout Africa in real life such as in Apartheid, the Sudan and ethnic cleansing. But we all already know that. And a movie does not need to tell or show us that when it could be used to show us so much more that is positive.

Finally, my fourth concern. Ironically but not surprising, the successful challenger to the throne is more of an African American thug happy to work with Caucasian terrorists, kill his own girlfriend and live without honor. That is sending the message that the “negro” has lost his identity and is more dangerous and without honor than Africans who know who they are. That says a lot about American black people. Not good. Why not connect Wakanda to “black Americans” with honor instead of treachery?

Why have Wakanda at civil war instead of fighting the world? Because fighting the world would show just how superior Wakanda was and Africa is. That would further build the identity, confidence and stature of young African Americans and the powers that be don’t want that.

In the movie African tribes, after fighting for centuries, have come to use vibranium from a meteor for all of their weapons and technology. The plot is interesting and the actors are good but the Caucasian villain and the Caucasian CIA agent are not even necessary. They do not contribute much to the movie at all. I am not being racist but I do find it ironic how they are pushed to the front. Especially when African Americans in Marvel movies are often pushed further to the back. Interesting twist of irony.

Some of you may say I am reaching or going too deep. But to you I say messages and meanings are often buried deep and concealed from those of us who simply see entertainment. There were Caucasian people who helped to start the NAACP and to found key HBCUs like Spelman, Morehouse and Clark colleges. Why does it take a “white” man to create, launch and develop a super hero of color and take him to the big screen? Again they will make a ton of money off us, just like in basketball. Why can’t we make the money by us, for us? We are still cashing the checks instead of writing them.

In summary, great African and African American actors, interesting plot, spectacular panoramic scenery and a high tech look at how Africa is anything but an s…hole country President Donald Duck. My point is simply that we have to be careful about messages embedded in areas that we would never suspect. Why? Because those are the perfect places to implant covert messages that could further hurt our people. do I read too much into this? Nope. Maybe you just don’t go deep enough.

Staff Writer; Trevo Craw


Comments

15 Responses to “Black Panther Was A White Man’s Perspective.”
  1. Pelvo White, Jr. says:

    The movie ” Black Panther ” is an excellent example of onomatopoeic brain candy that is altogether satisfying to a large number of Americans. It is pure fiction in the traditional sense heavily sweetened with idealized western European empirical science and royal concepts like ” king ” and ” kingdom .” It fully satisfies the African American’s desire to be white.

  2. Michael Simmons says:

    This is beyond absurd if it were not so true

    1) You didn’t watch the movie well. The explanation was a part Virtual Interface” . Basically a virtual interface in which most of the hard stuff is abstracted. It wasn’t 100% purely written in but you didn’t catch it because of your debate agenda.

    2) This “feminism” debate is getting out of hand. Now any slight resemblance of “Independent” is “Feminism” This is a comic book movie anyway. The women have their own zone of power. We don’t even see “I-don’t-need-men” type logic . African American Females devoid of STEM for now are just as educated and independent as men. I hear countless parents say “you don’t need to DEPEND on a man.” Women not viewed as the limiting Feminists label, simply want rights as men at least non-relationship rights. I remember Good Times when a man and a woman living together unmarried was viewed as immoral. Now Marriage is taken as nothing and simply being a “virgin” is actually laughed it. Even by “ELDERS”! (30-40). Moral Times change. Don’t pretend it doesn’t evolve. We don’t stone adulterous women either. You people would be comfortable in Saudi Arabia. Africa (like the world) was one matriarchal eons ago. This is senseless, by this logic Bio-Tech Women should drop out because according to Umar “the only reason they fund aFrican Women education is by correlation to less births”.

    3) So we should just gloss over the South Sudan tragedy. Gloss over the Congo rape and pillage assisted by Africans. Gloss over the Central African Republic war. Even the Libya Slave trade is funded by Nigerians and Ghanaians. 1/3rd of Somalia is has been destabilized and crippled by Kenya and Ethiopia. Cameroon has been found to fund Boko-Haram. Is revealing the truth so horrid?! Africa has true more hot-spots but Europe has “Ukraine” and Asians have Myanmar. It is a valid facet of Africa in a movie solely related to it as well as any other peoples. Half of conservative blacks are so obsessed with Birth of a Nation anyway. So which is it? Slavery is not Positive.

    4) The Negro HAS as you put it “lost his identity” any “Back-To-Africa/type African centered dialogue is curiously missing of millineals. I’ve seen Abrahamic Religions curiously in africa NOT just america *laugh* at African Religions and spirit realms as “ignorant”. You may not agree but I’ve seen horrid insults. Why is airing our dirty laundry even in a fictional film a bad idea? People can rationalize both sides.

    Point A) What is wrong with the Caucasian Actors. It feels like racism if we can’t even have TOKEN white people. Klaw was a very personable live-character type actor with infinite personality, and he righteously was made a puppet to KillMongerer and killed earlier. Agent Ross, straight from the Comics. Why do you have to question EVERYTHING that doesn’t fit your narrow narrative?

    Mark Anthony the Social Justice Warrior idiot who thinks “Black” is a bad thing just because white individuals used it negatively. We don’t know our tribes in Africa (even Pan-Africanists don’t care HENCE *Pan*) so we have to go by a generic description. But you give Christianity a pass even though (it was used as whites as bad). *How to make the Negro a Christian. You are a bloody hypocrite who spams the message at least 50 times on every blog how we aren’t “black”. Matter of fact Hypocrite why aren’t you mad at “Black Panther”, shouldn’t it be “Brown Panther?”.

  3. Douglass loss..this is not your call and not your personal definition either.I have no intention of engaging in a combative argument with you, I am responding to the article.

  4. Trevo Craw says:

    Those of you who made foolish, silly and inaccurate comments are really irrelevant. Home many of you have been to Africa? My family on my father’s side is Nigerian and Nubian. I have been to Nigeria, Kenya, Liberia, South Africa, Egypt and then some. You make personal attacks because you are brainwashed Cointel Pro puppets who live in the minds of your master’s plantation and you don’t even know it.

    That is why you failed to address sufficiently and refute the points of my article. You make nonsense comments like I should have stayed at home. You assume my agenda when you don’t know me. You focus on typographical errors and the real facts go right over your head. All of that is sambo programming at it’s best. You prove you don’t know who you are and that is sad.

    Address the issues.

  5. M Anthony says:

    I find it interesting that many of thee comments made against the author or his article clearly fail to refute anything in the article. Small minded criticisms of typographical errors or sighting one exception in Africa are insignificant. Other ignorant and inflammatory comments like who should stay at home or questioning the author’s agenda when you don’t know him are just as dumb and do not refute the points in the article either.

    People if you are going to TRY to criticize, deal with the issues of the movie instead of attacking the person who you do not even know. How small you are when you do this. How inaccurate you are. How irrelevant your points are when they don’t address the facts mentioned in the article. GROW UP PEOPLE!

  6. M Anthony says:

    Dee you don’t know who is a Marvel fan and you are wrong about the author. I know that. You should not assume because that makes you an ass and we see you. The author is a fan but can focus on accuracy at the same time. Can you walk and chew gum? The author is well versed on Black Panther, Iron Man, Spiderman, Captain America, Thor, the Hulk, Dr. Strange and then some. So don’t talk what you don’t know.

  7. M Anthony says:

    Douglas is right. We become part of the problem if we justify being just like those we have a problem with. That is hypocrisy and a clear double standard.

    Mitch stop assuming when you don’t even know someone. You apparently missed all the good things the author said about the movie and the actors. But the author also addressed both sides of the coin. Try having some balance Mitch and be honest enough to address the good and the bad. You cannot say who should stay at home. Who the hell are you and where are your articles enlightening anybody? You stay at home.

  8. M Anthony says:

    To Wha
    Your number 2 point names one small tribe but that does not change the truth and culture of the entire continent of Africa. There are always exceptions to the rule but they do not change the rule itself. Try again. Clearly throughout Africa the norm is not women guarding, reigning over or beating down men. Pick any country you want and look at the facts.

    Your point about coexistence is abstract and inaccurate. There is coexistence all over Africa and all over the world – if you open your eyes and see.

    Counter revolutions and coups do not change the truths of this article either. Look at Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa, Egypt etc. Wake up. You want to sound intellectually informed but your points neither address the norm nor offer evidence to refute it.

  9. M Anthony says:

    Alexis if you can’t get past the type-os, that shows how small you are. But maybe you are perfect. Oops where are your articles? Where are you enlightening anybody on anything?

  10. Alexis says:

    Interesting perspective ?…..but can’t get past the typos.

  11. Douglas Loss says:

    Sorry Marlon, but racism is judging other people purely on the color of their skin and their external physical characteristics, and not on their individual personality and character. Anyone can do that, and people from all ethnic groups do. You’re just trying to redefine the term so you can claim, “It’s OK when WE do it!”

  12. 1. Africans cannot be racist as racism is an engineered power construct.

    2. African civilizations with Sisters Queens as Protectors https://www.geni.com/projects/Queens-Women-Warriors-of-Africa/14190.

    Last point of reference Black women were the original feminists. Not in the #snowflake sense of the word,and how that has been subjugated into white privilege,in an effort to grow empower the black family units. https://apracticalwedding.com/black-feminism/. It is true to say white feminists cherry-picked what was beneficial for their legacy, using this mantra,creating a divisions to great extent between the Black Family unity,a discourse between Black men and women. Note in the pecking order of power the white woman comes before Black men and women.

  13. Dee says:

    Black Panther and his origins were taken right from the Marvel comic which premiered in the late 60s or early 70s. He will be an avenger as the Marvel series continues. I’m sorry the story wasn’t changed to meet your expectations. You aren’t even a Marvel fan. I am and I am also an educated 60 year old black women who has been reading and watching Marvel, since I was a child, if you think you can do better create your own black superhero’s and leave us Marvel alone and stop trying to speak for us.

  14. I feel like you had an agenda going into this movie. Why is it that young black people can’t just go watch something that highlights black people in a positive light and look for something negative? it’s like you don’t know the history of black people in entertainment. Back in the 60s and 70s we would call each other on the phone to make sure everyone knew there was a black person on TV. You have a whole movie with black people that’s not considered a blaxploitation movie that’s wonderful to watch and has made a lot of black people proud. You should have saved your money and stayed home.

  15. Wha... says:

    1. Good spot
    2. Factually incorrect – the female regiments of Dahomey kingdom. Female fighters in certain tribes etc
    3. It’s more positive showing the truth in overcoming of differences rather than the lie of fantasy coexistence.
    4. You need to read up on African counter revolutions and coups, which were almost always sponsored by foreign entities using local strong men. It’s jystvanother case of fantasy mirroring reality.

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