Black Panther Forgets Black Women

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever came out on Nov 11. The movie is known to showcase black women with an entirely African American cast. The movie premiered on Oct. 26, and while the reviews have been positive, the execution of this premiere was poor. To be more specific, there were some seemingly obvious mistakes with the guest list. 

Marvel Studios is known globally for all the superhero movies given to us Marvel nerds. And with social media, we now have a way to see other people who love the same things as us. So while social media influencers are getting brand deals and showcasing what they love, these brands are helping them get more content out to their followers. Pretty simple right? 

But back to the Black Panther premiere. Allegedly there were many female African American creators who were not invited to the premiere. How contradictory for a movie known for its diversity. In simpler words, you remembered everyone but the black women to see a movie known as an “ethnic feminist film.” Those were the exact words of the director, Ryan Coogler.

As a young black lady, I feel offended. I should be able to watch a movie franchise that highlights the strength of black women and follows through with its message. Karama Horne was the author of Black Panther: Protectors of Wakanda and  Nyanyika Banda created the Black Panther Cookbook, but still no invite. Not only is it rude, but it is also inconsiderate and misleading. When you are doing business with someone you are supposed to act a sure way to get your point across. Marvel is currently doing the opposite. Creators like @nicquemarina aka Nicque Marina were not invited, though she’s known for her Marvel content and her platform gets people more interested in Marvel. 

The unfortunate thing is that this is not the first time black women have been treated dirty in the cinematic world. only one that has been suspected to do something like this. It was said that at the premiere of The Women King, again many female Africans weren’t invited. The real question we should be asking is whether the diversity in Marvel movies is only for the screen. So diversity and cultural appropriation are like a fantasy shown on tv because it’s not the real world. And if so, isn’t that the example we should be following?