FINAL WORD

FOREVER

Travis Langley

“Whether by adopting the aesthetic or its principles, all people can find inspiration or practical use for Afrofuturism to both transform their world and break free of their own set of limitations.”

—Afrofuturism author Ytasha L. Womack1

“Wakanda forever!”

—Wakandan rallying cry²

We need heroes who look like us. We also need to recognize and value heroes who do not. The Black Panther is both to different people.

Not only does the character exemplify heroism, but also diversity between individuals and complexity within.³ His stories celebrate culture, possibilities, and hope. The Oscar-winning film elevated Black Panther to greater recognition and influence through its “vivid re-imagination of something black Americans have cherished for centuries—Africa as a dream of our wholeness, greatness, and self-realization.”⁴

His nation of Wakanda is the modern equivalent of classic magical kingdom fantasies but told as science fiction instead of fantasy, as potential instead of impossible. It’s a counterfactual dream of what could have been, and a hope for how things could become for the individual, for the people, for the world. The Black Panther and Wakanda represent many things, including the hope that people previously overlooked might improve the future of the world for everyone.

Forever.

“Sense of identity, sense of culture, sense of who you are and your heritage. I’m not just talking about Africans or African Americans. I’m talking about everybody.”

—actor Michael B. Jordan on Black Panther’s importance5

“This is not our destination. This is where our journey begins.”

—T’Challa⁶

NOTES

1. Black Panther (2018 motion picture).

2. Womack (2013), p. 192.

3. Mohammed (2018); Johnson (2018); Smith (n.d.).

4. Wallace (2018).

5. Mohammed (2018).

6. Fantastic Four #607 (2012).