Last week there was a news story floating around about the search for the “real” Wakanda; the fictional city setting of Marvel’s latest superhero box office success Black Panther. If you somehow have been living in a submarine or in a cave somewhere and you don’t want to read any spoilers, then I advise you not to read this piece. Black Panther offers the viewers an opportunity to see a part of the continent of Africa untouched by the perils of colonization, imperialism, poverty, and racism. A true daydream for all of us who are of African ancestry. Now, back to Wakanda Marvel’s modern land of milk and honey. A place of peace where different cultural groups get along with each other and everyone has access to technology, good food, and great gear. Not to forget to mention, the vibranium because platinum is so 1990’s No Limit Soldier-ish.

After watching almost two hours of T’Challa almost die by the hands of his bugged out auntie loving cousin, to return to step into his kingship and bring the peace back to the kingdom of Wakanda; I left the theater full off sugar covered vibranium seeds dancing in my head, until the thought of “what if Wakanda was real?”, pushed my sappy daydream back into reality.

The truth of the matter is that albeit the musings of a place like Wakanda really existing in the universe, means that the truth of the matter is that it doesn’t. T’Challa, while well-played by the newest Denzel of the Millennial generation, Mr. Chadwick Bozeman, and our dream mother city, Wakanda can only be a figment of our imaginations while racism runs rampant in the White House, politics, Black on Black violence is still taking the lives of our own every day and colorism still reveals its ugly head in the mouths of our fellow melanated brothers and sisters who answer the question “Why don’t you like her?”, “because I just don’t” (insert eye roll emoji).

So let’s be honest, if we aren’t going to change how we collectively see one another #IfWakandaWasReal then we might as well get over this fictional hype and get back to our battle of the sexes YouTube videos and reality ratchet programs per usual. #IfWakandaWasReal there would not be any conversations being with this part of the African diaspora is better than this other part of the African dispora. We would see our unity thriving in Black own business and our communities would not succumb to gentrification. We must do better for the collective community, not just for show and not just the culture, for our future.

 

Until Next,

The Adventurous Daydreamer