Bernice A. King, daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, at a recent press conference preview the King Holiday observance in Atlanta, Georgia.
EPA-EFE/Erik S. Lesser
King saw parallels between the anti-colonial movement in Africa and the civil rights struggle in the US.
Afrofuturist’s work is rooted in the desire to transform the present for Black people. Here actor Mouna Traoré in ‘Brown Girl Begins’ (2017) directed by Sharon Lewis set in a post-apocalyptic version of Toronto.
Urbansoul Inc
Afrofuturist’s work is rooted in the desire to transform the present for Black people. To do so, they imagine a reality in which Black people are the agents of their own story, countering histories that discount and dismiss them.
Simu Liu plays the title character in the upcoming film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Marvel/Disney
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is becoming increasingly diverse, on and off screen. The franchise’s continued success depends on remaining culturally relevant.
The increased migration of Africans and the global growth of hip hop culture has seen a dynamic new generation of Pan Africanism emerge.
Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of the Black Panther was an inspiration to people of color in science, technology, engineering and math fields.
Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP
Technology can give superhero abilities to people in real life.
A man photographs a mural of late actor Chadwick Boseman’s character T'Challa (Black Panther) from the 2018 film ‘Black Panther,’ on Sept. 8, 2020, in Los Angeles.
(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Unlike the Hollywood hero he portrayed, Boseman created space for a kaleidoscope of Black masculinities and challenged the narrative that urban Black men are in need of saving.
Clifford Johnson, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
The film wowed critics and fans. But its hidden power may be black lead characters who are accomplished scientists – just the thing to help inspire future generations to follow in their footsteps.
Dakota Johnson, Mia Goth, and Olivia Ancona in Suspiria (2018).
Frenesy Film Company, Videa, First Sun
BlacKkKlansman is more than a good story: it expertly weaves together comedy with serious drama to bring the story of past racism to illuminate our present day issues.
The lead villain of Black Panther is a complex character who represents years of conflicting debates among African American leaders about how to achieve Black liberation.
This is what happens when we stop assuming audiences can’t handle female-led sci-fi films.
Chadwick Boseman (T'Challa ) and Lupita Nyong'o (Nakia) in Black Panther (2018). In the film, natural hair is used as a social identifier.
Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures