Book Review - Why Wakanda Matters: What Black Panther Reveals About Psychology, Identity, and Communication

Why Wakanda Matters: What Black Panther Reveals About Psychology, Identity, and Communication by Sheena C. Howard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley, and I'm so glad it was available. As a huge fan of the Black Panther film (I'm not Black, but I am a person of color), I was eager to dive into the discourse surrounding it-less from the cinematic perspective, and more from the cultural and social impact that the film had.

Sheena C. Howard edited this anthology of essays, and also contributed an essay of her own. I knew this book was going to be something special when I read the foreword by Black Panther art director, Phillip Boutté Jr.

I, sometimes, find forewords to be intrusive and self-glorifying, but Boutté Jr.'s writing is evocative and a rallying cry. He understood why the film is important, but also how it's important. And that's a perfect segue into the rest of the essays.

I won't go into each one in-depth as each reader should take away their own impressions from the collection. What I will say is that I was fascinated by Howard's bold move to include differing-but not disparate-views of the film in this collection.

Each author dissects the film in their own way to analyze the creation of the characters and the fictional world of Wakanda, while also explaining which psycho-socio-political reason made these elements resonate with so many Black people, and people of color, around the world.

From intergenerational trauma to the psychological effects of systemic racism, one gets a clear understanding of exactly why this film, of all the superhero comic book adaptations that have come before it, made waves.

I'll briefly mention some of the essays that stood out to me. Mercedes Samudio's essay really resonated with me because she was an African-American child who often loved 'white' entertainment. Her essay was cathartic to read as it assuaged some of the guilt I've always felt for disparaging local media, while explaining why something like Black Panther feels so all-encompassing to fans.

Howard's final essay is a clinical look at T'Challa's evolution during the film, and it's not only a testament to the fantastic writing in this film but of how much nuance is needed for us to love and respect a character so different from us (because he's royalty, and a superhero).

Evan Jones' entry is almost a checklist of parenting while Black. I hope, however, that anyone reading this-irrespective of race-chooses to follow the author's guide so that race becomes less of an issue in the future.

There are several essays evaluating the psychology behind Erik Killmonger's characterization, as well as fans' love for this character. I am not surprised by how heavily the film's villain features in this essay. One essayist, Olísa Yaa Tolókun, refers to him solely by his given name, N'Jadaka, almost as if to disconnect him from his villainy.

I appreciate how much more I've learnt about being Black in America, and what more Black culture is when not told through the narrow viewpoint of other communities. There are cultural examples that I've never even heard of, but which, I'm assuming, is probably a part of daily discourse among many Black families.

I can't recall a genre film capturing the imagination of scholars and academics outside the film sphere quite like Black Panther has. And with good reason as we see in this book.

For any fan of Black Panther, of discourse around entertainment media and representation in film, this book is a must-read (and a must-keep).

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