black panther

At the start of the movie, N’Jobu laments the pain and oppression those who are descendants of the Black Diaspora have experienced. He speaks of ME as being his people and within the first few minutes of movie, we black Americans are told we belong.

We, the descendants of the African Diaspora, do not have a home. Our cultures, ethnicities, and even families were stolen from us. Not only were these things taken from our ancestors, new identities were imposed on us. When we Africans stepped foot on American soil, we were given new identities. We were no longer Africans but became slaves. Our names were no longer culturally African, they were “Christianized”. We became Peter, John, and Toby and our only purpose for existence was to give our bodies holistically to another to do with it whatever they desired. We became the culture-less. For centuries, these new identities were impressed on the descendants of the Diaspora. We would eventually be granted our humanity, but we would continue to live our lives daily questioning the value of our lives.

​Does black life matter? Yes.  Wakanda Forever.