#OnBlackPanther: 10 Takeaways To Think On
- If you have a blood Sister, don’t ever sleep on her creative skills and what she can pull off, just for you! Blood is so much thicker than water, and your blood relatives, especially your Sister, can “outfit” you for things that no one else is able to do. PLEASE never fall asleep on your Sister!
- You have some people who aren’t blood relatives, going to bat for you…and are loyal to the very end (Forest Whitaker). And then you have some who #appear loyal (W’Kabi), but if the wind shifts, they will shift with it. W’Kabiis the definition of a “fairweatherfriend.” He didn’t learn ANYTHING being in the Wakanda camp over the years, and all it took was Killmonger to come in and change his entire train of thought. Have you ever experienced this? I surely have…and then life goes on!
- Some people are raised on survival (Killmonger), not love (Black Panther)…so now you see why certain people have certain ways. Listen…Killmongeris already dealing with being a child “left behind,” so his mind is focused on retaliation. Black Panther was in a community of love and full support, so he was not one displaying a “takeover” mentality. A huge takeaway from this example? Be careful who you align yourselves with; some people are only looking for their next come up, and they may attempt to use YOU to get it.
- When women mount up and join forces though…the DojaMilajeTribe? BLACK GIRL MAGIC AND UNITY PERSONIFIED. There was nothing that they wouldn’t do for the throne, and they were loyal not only to the kingdom, but to each other. Ladies: do you have a tribe of Black Women who would unify and come together on your behalf?
- Personally Speaking? Weave sucks (Referring to Okoye in that scene when they went to find “Klaw” in the casino, and she was wearing that hideous wig as a disguise). She couldn’t WAIT to release herself from the confines of that wig; that wig/weave hid her true personality, and also the fullness of her beauty. Weave is personally not something I get down with…so that part of the scene only validated my feelings about it!
- Black People will ALWAYS have special handshakes. We are a creative people. Our handshakes MEAN something. And from now on, I will greet all of my WakandanBrothers and Sisters with that handshake! It’s SUPER lit…
- You will always need to reflect on your past to get answers about your present and future. Each time anyone had to go “under the sand,” it was symbolic of the healing that one needs in order to move forward. Our past will key us in on why we do what we do, where we get certain behaviors from, and how we ultimately may turn out. Reflecting on your past certainly can and will help assist you with present growth and growth in your future!
- A Mother’s Love is THE BOMB, and no Mother wants to bury their “child.” I buried my mother at the young and very tender age of 31, and to have a woman who was in my life be “called home,” while I was JUST discovering all that God had for me, was absolutely devastating. A Mother’s Love is EVERLASTING, and I can guarantee that ANY Mother would prefer that her child bury her and not the other way around.
- There are people designed to challenge you…but it could simply be a test of your strength. And, they may admire you so much that they will come to your aid and assistance when you least expect it (Winston Duke). During that fierce battle on the land, and hearing the “barks” coming in full force was heart-warming, and it actually charged the battle which Wakandaultimately won over the opposition. What you may not know is…you are inspiring people who pretend that you aren’t so great. Trust me!
- Relationships progress at their own pace, but you’ll know if you have a “ridah,” because she’s sticking by you…and will join the fight to keep you alive (Nakia). This is self-explanatory. We knew that Nakia had love for Black Panther; it just had to manifest itself in the time and space that would eventually be created for it. Prior to that manifestation, she got DOWN and fought to protect the kingdom. Love is a VERB, and she embodied love in that act.
If you still haven’t seen “Black Panther,” what are you waiting for? This is just a list of TEN takeaways…there are tons more that I didn’t cover. Let’s start the conversation around salvaging our community. Even though this was a Marvel Comic, this was a roadmap on how to live in harmony.
Elle is CEO of Elle’s Digital Agency IG: @ellesdigitagency_ & @officialchicagobrw
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