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Mackenzie Glaser

Film Screenings Reflection

March 9th 2019

This years’ theme of, Dreaming of Wakanda: Black Consciousness, Liberation, and

Solidarity, was perfectly exemplified in the films, Black Panther and Black Panther: Vanguard

of the Revolution. Through both of these films, it illuminated the struggles African Americans go

through in order to have their voices heard. It also was interesting to see how it was especially

hard for them to create solidarity, liberation, and Black Consciousness due to outside forces.

Solidarity is the first aspect of this year’s theme that stood out to me during these films.

When watching both films I noticed that both create a sense of pride and culture through the use

of the fictitious world named Wakanda and the inspiring story of the Black Panthers. The other

aspect that exemplified solidarity in these films was the aspect of emphasizing and revering

ancestors and their origins. An example of this is when in Black Panther, the ancestors were in

charge of the king crowning ceremony as well as the induction rites of King T’Challa. Solidarilty

in the Black Panthers documentary was also prevalent in the importance of telling the history of

the movement. This is why solidarity was prevalent in these films.

Next both of these films have really exemplified liberation. In the movie, Black Panther,

I came to understand that Wakanda is kind of where African Americans might be as a group of

people, if slavery did not ever exist. This is liberation and seems to be a way to show people how

good life could be even though there are some downfalls. It was liberation due to the fact that

they could be safe in the space that they created and were liberated in the sense that they could

be comfortable in their own

culture.
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Lastly, Black Consciousness was a recurring theme in both of these films. In the Black

Panther Movie, they created black consciousness by pointing out the lack of accurate

representation of people in the African American culture as well as how much of an impact

media and image has on a culture and how visible it is. The Black Panther documentary also

brought to light black consciousness and its reliance on media. For example, when it talked about

how people were being portrayed inaccurately in the papers as well as in the media in general, it

pointed out how we need to evaluate how people are being portrayed. This exemplifies black

consciousness because it brings to attention how people are portrayed and how that portrayal can

either help or hurt a group of people.

During these two films, the theme for this year was a great way to thoroughly reflect on

how media and these forms of education can affect a group of people and how they are viewed in

society. Through these films it has us look at how these films can produce ways for African

culture to be expressed in society and in a good way in regards to these two movies. Through

various examples in the movies such as the popularity, portrayal of ancestors, and through the

motherland of Wakanda, they exemplify black consciousness, liberation, and solidarity.