How Black Panther Reverberates Around The Worlds Of Black Children

I finally got the time to hit the cinema to watch box office-smashing Black Panther. This was after a week of trying to ignore news about the movie, a week of suffering on Twitter as many fans tweeted about the black cast and African culture, language and mannerisms featured in this Marvel studios-produced, Ryan Coogler-directed piece of excellence.

I even took that BBC Black Panther quiz to check out which character I would match before I watched the movie in Kampala, where many moviegoers dressed in African-inspired attires to truly celebrate superheroes that look like them and that they can relate to.

The superhero movie revolves almost entirely around black characters, and it more than doubled the money it was predicted to take in its opening week. One of the premieres was in Kisumu, western Kenya, home town of Lupita Nyong'o, who plays Nakia, the spy and the love interest of King T'Challa who is played by Chadwick Boseman.

This piece highlights why representation in superhero movies matters, especially to black/African children.

"This week, I walked out of a movie theater geeked for a generation of black kids who hopefully won't have to decolonize their imagination."

The movie is also crucial for black girls, with the character of a young princess who's is witty, smart and tech-savvy. The central role of women of Wakanda and the portrayal of female power challenges us to think differently. Women are seen and are equal with men in the roles they take, and are at top leadership level.

There are multitudes of lessons and inspirations in the characters and the set-up of the movie, and I hope we see many more.