It's pretty hard not to know about Black Panther coming to theaters this week. There have been numerous articles about Black Panther and its timely inclusion into the Marvel movie series from both a cultural and political perspective. There have been numerous articles in the news talking about its importance, like this one, and this one, oh and this one. 

I have no doubt this movie will be great, not just from an entertainment perspective, but as game changer in creating films and stories in general. Before I dive in, I want to give you some quick comic book history on Black Panther.

Black Panther: Quick Facts

• Black Panther was originally created in July, 1966 (Fantastic Four #52).
• It wasn't until 1973 that Black Panther was finally featured as the main hero (Jungle Action #5).
• The title of Black Panther is not only a hereditary title of the ruling chief of Wakanda, but also one that must be earned through trials. 
• Black Panther was created before the Black Panther Party (no relation from my understanding).
• Wakanda is a technologically advanced, but fictional African nation...or is it?

To learn more about the history of Black Panther, click that giant button below:

The Game Changer:

Black Panther has an enormous opportunity to do something quite unique. It can change the way we look at films from both a means of representation in film, and how we craft stories that engage audiences. Representation has been an often talked about issue in the film industry. From women behind the camera and directing to proper representation of culture in movies about history, people seem to want more accurate representation. Even in fiction, not every character is a white hero brandishing oversized weapons in an effort to save the world, while a "minority" character is merely a sidekick that clings to the coattails of the hero's successes. 

While oversimplified, that is changing in the US. Not just in films, but stories in general. Books like, "The Hate U Give,"  and "Pachinko" show different perspectives and cultural views of the world. Sure, neither of these books have the above action as mentioned, but shows how the world view of story is diverse and increasingly less singularized. Black Panther is going to be a story that will also touch on difficult situations that draw similarities to issues the United States has been dealing with for a long time. What this story could do is not only improve dialogue among people across cultures, ideas, and identities, but create new stories in the process. 

Sharing ideas, combining them to create stories (fictional or otherwise) that engage people in the world is something I hope grows and continues. I like seeing different stories and it seems like this may be a unique story I may not have heard before. Even reading the synopsis of past Black Panther stories really show how much I still need to learn about Black Panther and his adventures. 

Black Panther could be a really great movie, not just because of its iconic character(s) or its historical first for a major blockbuster film celebrating African culture, but for its ability to potentially cross borders and bridge an understanding between people in way, that I believe, sometimes only stories can do.

Don't Forget: Black History Month

It may be halfway through the month, but never to late to learn! I can't educate people on Black history or its importance in our society as well as others. There are so many people more knowledgeable than me. But, I feel like I would be remiss if I didn't provide at least a few options for people to learn on their own. The first link is from History.com page that has a few resources, but definitely less than I thought there would be. I also found another website hosted by the Library of Congress. If you want to learn even more, seek out the information. There are probably plenty resources in your own local community as well.

Please let me know what you think of this article in the comments or on Twitter. I am somewhat concerned that you can't actually comment while I was looking through past blog posts, so please let me know on Twitter or email. Also, no spoliers on Black Panther. I can't make it out to theaters until probably Monday. 

-J.J.