Liberation on and off screen: Black panther andblack liberation theory

Abstract

2018's Black Panther is arguably a revolutionary film. Revolutionary as it is the first blockbustersuperhero film that features a predominately black cast, allowing people of color to see themselvesrepresented in the film's heroes. It also places women of color in the forefront of the action, breakingdown common sexist tropes within the superhero genre. Beyond those issues of representation, BlackPanther recreates what is possibly the most significant and enduring debate in radical politics, thedebate between resistance and revolution. Indeed, it was this debate, personified by the conflictbetween Huey P. Newton and Eldridge Cleaver, which terminally fractured the Black Panther Party.This article first looks at Black Panther's use of space and setting (Oakland, California versus thefictional utopic Wakanda) in an analysis of the formation of conflictual black political identities. Thearticle then examines how the conflict between the protagonist, the Wakandan king and BlackPanther T'Challa, and the principle antagonist Eric "Killmonger" Stevens, recreates the pivotaldebate, a debate that defines much of radical politics. Finally, this article uses Edward Soja's conceptof "Thirdspace" to examine the character of Nakia, arguing that she presents an alternative resistantapproach to black emancipation.