Why I am Wakandan...

I have never been a comic book fan, never one to follow superheros or villains;  not Superman, not Wonder Woman, Aquaman, SilverSurfer, Batman or Spiderman.  In fact I probably just created some major mistake by mixing characters from Marvel and DC comics.

So,  how did I get caught up in Black Panther. The Marvel Super Hero,  an African King from the mythical African country of Wakanda?  I am caught up and enamored not just by the fact that this movie, by all accounts a blockbuster, is based on our black people but it is the best representation of black folks and our culture ever to be reflected on the big screen.  Yes I did say our culture and yes I  do cross my arms across my chest and greet folks with the Wakanda Forever greeting. Corny? No. Let me explain why.

I have refused to complete an ancestry DNA test for a number of reasons,  one being I just don't want my DNA sitting in some national registry but secondly I am afraid of what I may learn.  That maybe my origins, my DNA doesn't trace back cleanly to Africa. Now with Black Panther  I feel like I don't need it because I have found my tribe.  I am Wakandan.  Think about it, as Black folks in America our lineage is muddled we are a mix of the African continent.  Our ancestors were thrown together, the kings and queens, farmers and artisans, the mothers and fathers and sons and daughters brought to America and named slaves came from many nations on the great African Continent.  In this country we became a blend of all African nations.

When T'Challa  appears at Warrior Falls and you look up and see all those beautiful black people in the vibrant colors and native dress representing the nations and you understand that there is something taken from every African Tribe and country reflected in their dress, that it is a blend of culture it resonated with me. These are my people.  This is my tribe.  As a Wakandan I know that we are not just one but many.  I understand and recognize that we are intellectuals, we are warriors, we are fathers, mothers and aunties. And, in this movie in this mythical country all of this is captured and reflected.

I look at my  family of warrior women, women of science and academia, men who are regal and intellectual and also warriors and I see my family in Wakanda.  I think every Black family has a T'Challa and Killmonger, maybe not to those extremes but you know the smooth and the rough.  So, while it may seem silly to get caught up in a comic book character who is king of a mythical country what those outside of black culture may not understand is that the film directed by Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole captures not only the black family dynamic such as the relationship between brother and sister but also how we have those deep family secrets like why cousin Sissy was sent south when she was little and who her daddy really is or Crazy Uncle Larry and what sent him "over the edge" so to speak.

The other thing that moved me about this movie was the acceptance and co-signing of black folks all over the world. That support not only made it feel good it made it feel very right and adds credence to the fact that this movie is a solidifying force in bringing us closer together as a people.  Kudos to Coogler and Cole again for respecting our African culture, brothers and sisters by paying homage to their culture, tradition and beauty and introducing it to us in a way that is unifying and uplifting at the same time.

So I say with all sincerity that I no longer feel part of a lost tribe.  While I have always respected my African roots i never really felt connected because I couldn't point to a country, people or tribe and say yes I can trace my roots to them. And even though Wakanda is a mythical land it holds all the beauty, culture, history, innovation, hopefulness, morality, ethics and intellect that we represent as a people and that exist across the African Continent and in Black America.  Coogler and Cole and all of the actors and actresses these beautiful people of color just connected the dots brought it to life in a spectacular visual, making it easy for us to see and appreciate. Thank you for showing me home.

This is why I am Wakandan. Wakanda Forever.