My final take on the "Black Panther" euphoria, has predictably congealed into cynicism. The black panther character first appeared as an antagonist to Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four in 1966. which according to some accounts, was the same year a cabal of young black militants in Oakland, California, inspired by the heroics of this character, envisioned the image of a black panther as a logo for their nascent organization. Subsequently learning that the symbol had already been adopted in 1965 by another political group from Alabama known as the Lowndes County Freedom Organization, Bobby Seal and Huey Newton perhaps made these activists an offer they couldn't refuse and - the rest is history. End of prologue.
In the present, to me, the impact of the block-buster spectacle based on the black panther comic book character, boils down to 2 words: make-believe. And so begins our story... .
Once upon a time, a black minority population residing in a land of broken promises, was plagued by the post traumatic stress resulting from the slavery which had robbed them of their identity. They ached for something to fill them with pride and make them believe they had self-worth. 2 Titans known as Marvel Productions and Disney Studios, got wind of this yearning, and with dollar signs in their eyes, believed they could capitalize off the situation by providing the black masses with a movie featuring make-believe characters in a make-believe country, giving a good accounting of themselves and their make-believe culture.
Upon seeing the imaginary movie released by the Titans, droves of black people were captivated by what this make-believe epic made them believe. Inspired by what jumped off giant screens in theaters all over the country, black patrons left these venues feeling superior to those who had thwarted their belief in themselves. And what better way to affirm this belief than to ride the "Wakanda Forever" wave into a future where all blacks would be high achievers in a high tech environment of their own making!
Meanwhile, the 2 titans of white corporate America are raking in the astronomical profits this film has generated, thanks in great part to the cash-flow from its enchanted black audience. Elsewhere, however, doubts about the redeeming value of this make-believe movie have begun to appear as dissident voices start to blaspheme it. Social media party poopers are now pricking holes in the fantasy balloon, and would you believe the post traumatic stress of slavery is developing into a multiple personality disorder?
Epilogue: Believe it or not, this is what can be expected when dealing with a make-believe tale that gives rise to a belief that blacks can believe in, - if they make-believe...