Amongst the buzz of the many Marvel movies coming out this year, Black Panther has not only been a crowd favorite, but a groundbreaking cinematic and cultural achievement.  

    This movie has truly earned its 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is the highest rating for a live-action superhero movie, with its action packed scenes balanced with an amazing representation of African culture.

    Wakanda, though a fictional African country, had me so wrapped up in its cultural details represented throughout the entirety of the movie that I almost convinced myself that it was a real place.

    There was no part of the movie that did not have me wondering what was to come next. From the antics and astounding innovations of Shuri, T’Challa’s sixteen year old sister and mastermind of vibranium science, to the unrelenting pursuit of Erik Killmonger, who desires nothing more than what the people of Wakanda hold most dear, this movie’s plot is rich in detail and void of the terrible plot holes all avid movie goers despise.

    This is the first superhero movie with the majority of the cast being black, and only two of the main cast characters, who are in the first place supporting characters, being white. This movie truly centers around African and black culture, having its characters take a front seat in all the action and heartfelt moments instead of riding shotgun.

    In addition to how incredible the representation of black people is, is the absolutely amazing portrayal of women. In Wakanda, women make up the section of the army that protects the royal family. Women are respected and are as high up as any of the men are, as is evident by Romonda, Queen of the Wakandans, Shuri, scientific mastermind and Wakandan princess, Nakia, Wakandan spy, and Okoye, general of the Wakandan army.

    Another amazing aspect of this movie is that none of the characters were sexualized at any part of the movie. The minimal hints at romance were not used to drive the plot in any way, they were there to add a certain dynamic to the relationship of two of the characters. There was no kissing for the sake of kissing. There was no use of any of the women’s sexuality for the gaining of something important. If any of the female characters needed to get something, they go it via their strength and intelligence.

    But this can’t possibly be! Some people still can’t wrap their heads around the fact that this movie, with a majorly black cast, managed to rake in three hundred and sixty one million dollars globally, just in its opening weekend.

    For those people, it’s not that this movie is yet another superhero movie, but that it features a black superhero. Believe it or not, there are people that still can’t believe that the amount of melanin in a person’s skin does not affect one’s brain cells.

    What an amazing concept, huh?

    Amazing that the black community has to have a massive representational breakthrough in the cinematic and cultural world because those people whose ancestors did not need as much melanin in their skin got on their high horses and didn’t come down.

    And to think, some of us who are lacking in melanin still haven’t gotten an understanding of the ridiculousness of the racism they are still willingly believing in.

    So get your head out of the sand and go see this amazing movie, all the while remembering that everyone deserves to see themselves in media as they are in real life.