Race Relations In The Film: The Black Panther Party

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The history of race relations in America and Europe have been documented in many ways throughout the past 600 years. The stories are so horrific that people often use art portray their ideas. Most recently through the film, Black Panther, the audience is presented with a story that is reflective of the Black Panther Party, western colonialism, and a debate over the proper means of liberation. The motion picture takes place in a fictional, utopian, African country called Wakanda where there is a precious metal called vibranium. Vibranium has many powers that help heal injuries, fuel technology, and instills strength into everything it is woven into. The story has two main characters T’Challa, the King and protagonist, and Killmonger, cousin of T’Challa, Wakandan, and the antagonist. T’Challa and Killmonger lived very different lives, and Killmonger faced many more challenges in the United …show more content…

It is symbolic of the Black Panther Party, an organization that advocated for black power and black liberation. The Black Panther Party was formed in 1966 in Oakland, California. This is also the location where the movie began. The relationships between the film and the political group did not end here. Many of the debates T’Challa and Killmonger had over expansionism and liberation were the same debates that happened within the Black Panther Party. All members of the organization wanted black liberation, but there was a divide between those who were just fighting for equality and those who were fighting to overthrow the U.S government (Serwer). T’Challa claimed that he wanted true equality for all people of color; however, he didn’t think it was his duty to arm the world with vibranium. He was the King of Wakanda, not the King of the World. Killmonger, on the other hand, wanted to liberate and dominate through the spread of vibranium. He wanted more than freedom and equality. He wanted total dominance and

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