Claws Out

 

    I have watched Black Panther a number of times before, but I found watching it this time was completely different this time with the Afrofuturist lens in mind. There were a lot of issues direct and indirect issues brought throughout the movie through the different characters and situations that are presented. Killmonger's story is specifically reflective of the issues that have risen in Western society due to slavery, racism, and the toxic masculinity that was birthed from these societal inequalities. He holds a lot of anger towards Wakanda due to being abandoned by them and channels that anger into the righting of the wrongs done against black people in Western society. Although he claims that he is fighting to bring equality to Western society, his anger and disregard for others' life show the personal drive behind his actions. 

    Another interesting aspect of Black Panther is the fact that the country was never colonized and is actually far more advanced technologically than any other country. The imagery was really interesting due to how the advancement of an African society without the influence of Western culture. It was also interesting how much the past generations pushed back on the idea of helping other countries with their less fortunate compared to the younger generations. It makes sense as they bared witness to neighboring countries falling victim to colonization, but the new generation sees that this is a time with less violence and with the possibility of aiding other countries in a nonviolent way.