I, along with most of the world, went to see Black Panther opening weekend and absolutely loved it.  I left the theatre filled with pride and overall happiness because of what this movie represents to the global Black community.  But not just that.  It is just simply a really good movie.  The set design was marvellous.  The scenery and the costumes were breathtaking.  This film allowed me to imagine an Africa that was never colonized and was allowed to thrive and grow on its own resources without any outside interference.

The movie was directed by Ryan Coogler, who burst onto the scene with Fruitvale Station and then Creed, and features a predominantly Black cast of very talented actors, which include Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Letitia Wright, and Daniel Kaluuya.

Black Panther allows African people, and the diaspora, to discuss keystone issues that have yet to be resolved, like the responsibility of the community, locally and globally, and the role of women.

Black Panther shows the importance of community bonds and taking care of our own, as well as the dangers of abandoning or sacrificing members of the community for an ideal, as we saw with Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), who was the direct result of an idea that was cultivated by T’Chaka.  Killmonger fed on feelings of abandonment and rejection that made him bitter and vengeful.  There are many in the Black community across the entire American continent who share the same feelings of abandonment by Africa.

One of my main takeaways was how this movie underscored the strength of the women who undergird, support and stand beside their king and the people in their lives, women who are strongly independent and lacking nothing.  They embody the spirit of warriors that we all are and that we have all had to be in our own personal journeys.

Nakia, (Lupita Nyong’o), is fiercely independent.  She loves T’Chala (Chadwick Boseman), but she cannot ignore the plight of those less fortunate outside of the haven which is Wakanda.  She recognizes and makes it clear to the king, that they cannot remain in the shadows, cloistered away from the world, when they have the ability to positively impact it.

The Dora Milaje is Wakanda’s Secret Service.  It is a unit of strong women trained in hand-to-hand combat and espionage.  They are warriors.  These women, led by Okoye, (Danai Gurira), move as one.  Their primary objective is to protect the throne and whoever sits on it with their lives.

One of my favourite characters is Shuri (Letitia Wright), T’Chala’s younger sister, who is a lot like Q from the James Bond series.  She is smart, witty, innovative and imaginative.  She is not shy about speaking her mind.  She has a relentless drive for excellence, which is evident when she reminds her brother that just because something works well doesn’t mean that it cannot be improved.  That is a principle that many of us can employ in our lives.

Queen Mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett) is the embodiment of dignity and class.  To her son, to the Wakandan people, and even to the Jabari, she represented the king as his partner and not a subordinate.  Her relationship with her husband was so close that she knew what were the words T’Chaka would have said to T’Chala in his time of grief and ascension.

There is a lot more that can be said for Black Panther.  This is one of those movies I will watch again and again.  It is a visual treat that is also imaginative and thought-provoking.