“Black Panther” recently premiered and T’Challa, the lead character, is the super-hero many are still talking about. Gorgeous men on screen in roles such as “Black Panther” command attention, but this hero is not just appealing to admirers, he is a hero that Black boys and men could imitate and endeavour to be like; a thoughtful leader who showed strength and weakness; a leader who was powerful, yet humble enough to be with and listen to his people; a leader many respected. When we think about our country and how many leaders seem to shun the people or turn a deaf ear to their cries, even they can learn from the example of T’Challa. And the many other strong males in the film also command attention. Like the villain, Killmonger, who is one that we can identify and empathise with. He is a representation of some of the struggles people of African descent in the diaspora have had to face; feeling forgotten, hopeless and neglected by those who remained on the continent and never knew what it was like to cross water and cease to exist.
And in the world of the film the women are equal to the men. The strong female leads, who are in no way subservient, stand side by side with the men and fight for them in that imagined society. That is real in many ways because truths about history and the present reality were beautifully intertwined to create fiction that will leave a lasting impression. Many Guyanese women could find inspiration from watching the women of “Black Panther.” Every woman who has ever felt that she was not worthy, who has held her head down and walked behind the man, instead of standing beside him, who has endured abuse and accepted it as her fate, can find the heroines in the women of “Black Panther” and be motivated to find her voice and purpose.