ShipLibrary Blog

Academic Discourse & Marvel's Black Panther

The sudden passing of Chadwick Boseman, 43 year-old iconic actor known for his roles as Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and most famously, the Black Panther, reminds us how film can have a substantial impact on society at large. At the time of Black Panther's release in 2018, there was both great joy at the representation of Black actors in the movie and great academic discourse around what the film meant to Black liberation and politics. Below are a few of these discussions and writings and the themes they addressed. All of these writings, and more, are available through the library's academic databases.  

This article by Dr. Anthony Faramelli analyzes how Black Panther, with both it's representation and messaging, mindfully framed the debate between resistance and revolution in radical Black politics.

• Faramelli, A. (2019). Liberation On and Off Screen: Black Panther and Black Liberation Theory. Film Criticism, 43(2), 75–90.

This piece by Dr. Caryn Neumann and Dr. Marsha Robinson, among many themes, discusses how Black Panther addresses the complexity of the African diaspora and the nuances of identity.

• Neumann, C., & Robinson, M. R. (2018). Introduction: On Coogler and Cole’s Black Panther Film (2018): Global Perspectives, Reflections and Contexts for Educators. Journal of Pan African Studies, 11(9), 1–12.

Dr. Renee White, in her article, looks at "the relation of the film to Afrofuturism, decolonial aspects of the film's plot, and the notion of the fictional nation Wakanda in relation to black internationalism."

• White, R. T. (2018). I Dream a World: Black Panther and the Re-Making of Blackness. New Political Science, 40(2), 421–427. 

And in their critical but masterful analysis, Dr. Godfried Asante and Dr. Gloria Pindi Nziba write about how black panther yielded too much to western colonialism in the framing of the Afrofuturistic themes addressed in the movie.

• Asante, G. A., & Nziba Pindi, G. (2020). (Re)imagining African futures: Wakanda and the politics of transnational Blackness. Review of Communication, 20(3), 220–228. 

Black Panther was not just a film, it was a cultural moment that gave weight and breadth to a larger, ever-growing discourse on Black identity. The passing of Chadwick Boseman is a truly somber moment. He will be remembered for his acting but he will also be remembered for the critical thought he aspired with his film and character. For more resources on writings, discourse, and discussions on Marvel's Black Panther, please email us at the library.