keep digging up historical references to teach my daughters about real feminism, the kind that existed before patriarchal systems rewrote the narrative. And watching Black Panther for the first time, something clicked. Wakanda or no Wakanda, this is what the real world looked like before the Greek system takeover. Women weren’t considered different. They just were: warriors, leaders, innovators, equals.
What struck me most was how brilliantly they built Killmonger’s character. His stance wasn’t simple villainy, it was righteous anger with a destructive outlet. By the end, you’re completely torn between T’Challa’s measured approach and Killmonger’s revolutionary fury. My favorite moment: Killmonger’s last line about being buried in the ocean with his ancestors “who jumped from ships, because they knew death was better than bondage.” The message!! Also, in the same style of talking to the African American youth through the movie, scene after scene reminds T’Challa, and through him the audience, that he doesn’t have to live trapped by the mistakes of past kings. He can chart his own course. Such a beautiful message for the youth that you don’t need to be defined by historical trauma.
My absolute favorite scene? The coronation sequence. Those massive army ships approach the edge of the waterfall, and suddenly three perfectly circular holes appear in the water, draining the falls just enough for the ceremony. I sat there in the theater, completely floored by the imagination. Using Africa’s natural beauty with special effects to create something entirely unique.
The genius is at every angle of this film. I don’t know how detailed the comics were about Wakandan technology, but the movie shows tech that’s fundamentally different from Western innovation. Notice: you barely see computer screens in this entire film. Every innovative gadget and tech gave a glimpse of what the world could’ve been if not colonized. They progressed with their heads high, proud of their history and their land.
Progress and tradition aren’t opposites. They’re partners. Thank you for showing us that.
