Wednesday, February 28, 2018

What Does The Black Panther Movie Tell Us about Black People?

The Black Panther Warrior Women
The Black Panther movie tells us a great deal about Black/African people, psychology, traditions and potential.  I saw the film last night and I enjoyed it immensely. It is doing brilliantly at the box office, breaking all kinds of records, as well it should. 
 
Lest we forget, the first Marvel comic films were the Blade trilogy, which did so well at the box office that they enabled Marvel to bankroll all the other superhero films they subsequently produced, yet, somehow, they have been left out of the Marvel narrative.

Further, lest we forget, Black filmmakers, notably Oscar Michaux, have been making films giving positive depictions of Black filmmakers since at least 1919.

I have a few quibbles about The Black Panther, as follows (this contains spoilers): 
  • I do not like to see two Black men duking it out as they do in the film, albeit displaying awesome fighting skills;  
  •  I particularly disliked seeing Black men and women fighting each other on the battlefield, and I'm not even sure what they were fighting about; 
  • The brother from U.S. appeared conflicted – he addresses a white woman as “Coloniser” and makes reference to the plunder of African artefacts, yet he partners with a white thief of, and dealer in, such artefacts;
  • Perhaps my strongest objection is to Martin Freeman's role – he plays a duplicitous, double-dealing CIA man (in other words, a CIA man) who allies with the Wakandans and, at the end of the film, is shown in the United Nations like some kind of benevolent paternalistic figure.
Having said all that, the visuals are amazing, the storyline and the depiction of African people as masters of technology are – well, masterful, and The Black Panther offers us a largely positive view of African people and traditions. The Wakandans, from the fictional African state of Wakanda, are depicted as kings, queens and heroes. And the movie is highly entertaining.  
 
The Black Panther is a dazzling sci-fi romp.  I am old enough to remember a time when Black people did not exist in the future, i.e. in science fiction.  So I greatly enjoy this film's strong characters. 


The characters' inner and outer conflicts mirror, to a certain extent, similar conflicting emotions within and among people from the Diaspora and the African Continent. I found this fascinating. 
 
One thing I particularly liked was that the men, and the women, were so beautiful to look at and so strong, brave and fearless. These sistas looked awesome. The characters carried themselves with great pride and dignity and the sistas were warriors, fully ready to throw down. 
 
I need to see this film again, soon, to gain clarity and because it is such great fun!  If you have not seen it yet, see it! 

What did you think of The Black Panther movie?  Please share this with your networks and please leave your comments below. Thanks.  
 

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Looking for Black Bloggers to Interview (2)

The landscape has changed a great deal since I produced Secrets of the Black Bloggers.  There is still a vibrant Black blogging community, and many more Black bloggers have emerged.  

Do you have a story to tell?  

Are you able to inspire and motivate others?  

Does your blog contain useful, educational material?  

Are you a writer or author?  

These are just some of the qualities and skills Black bloggers display.  

If you want to share your blog and would like to be interviewed, please contact Zhana here or here.  Please include the link to your blog.  

See also:  The Black Blogger as Modern Griot.  

For a list of the types of blogs I am looking for, see:  Looking for Black Bloggers to Interview

Please share this with your networks and please leave your comments below.   Thanks.  

Monday, February 19, 2018

Looking for Black Bloggers to Interview

Black bloggers wanted
It's been awhile since I published Secrets of the Black Bloggers

Are you a Black blogger who really wants to make a difference? I am looking for bloggers to interview for Volume Two of Secrets of the Black Bloggers. To be interviewed, you need to have been blogging for at least two years. Your blog must be aimed primarily at Black people, i.e. people of African heritage. The primary focus of your blog must be about one or more of the following: 
  • Black health
  • Nonviolence
  • Black history
  • Personal development
  • Mind/body/spirit
  • Parenting
  • Education
  • Black business
  • Energy healing
  • Books/Literature/Writing
  • Black film
  • The arts
  • Current affairs
  • Travel
More topics may be added later. They will NOT include beauty, fashion or celebrity gossip.

If you would like to be interviewed, please contact Zhana here or here.  Please include the link to your blog.   

Please share this with your networks and please leave your comments below.   Thanks.  


 

Monday, February 12, 2018

Black Success: How to Escape the Prison System

I have called this blog post How to Escape the Prison System, but I could have called it
How to Overcome Mental Slavery. 

And I believe that knowledge is power. So we are aware of the problem. The only solution
is one that we can provide. Nobody else can do this for us. We have to do it. 

Listen below for more.  



Please share this with your networks, and please leave your comments below.  Thanks.   
  
 



Dunkirk's Use of Prison Labour







Monday, February 05, 2018

Black Success: Stop Causing Yourself Pain

Stop Causing Yourself Pain
Black people are very good at blaming. We blame white people. We blame the government. We blame the politicians. We blame men. We blame women. Most importantly, and most tragically, we blame ourselves and each other.  We need to GET OUT OF OUR OWN WAY. 

Listen below for more about how we can heal ourselves and stop causing ourselves pain.  I am sharing practical methods of healing ourselves.  

Please share this with your networks, and please leave your comments below.  Thanks.