‘Their Blackness Is Mine’: Woke Twitter Users Reveal What ‘Black Panther’ Means to Them

A bevy of Black Twitter users took to social media this week to reveal what the upcoming Black Panther movie means to them through the use of the hashtag “#WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe.”

“Before Black Panther, I was a lost soul wandering the desert, deluded by the mirages of white acceptance,” claimed one Twitter user. “The spiritual connection that I now feel with the African diaspora is 1000x stronger than any brunch mimosa. I love us.”

https://twitter.com/HPJArt/status/960957223840157697

The film follows T’Challa, the new king of the mythical and fictional African-like nation of Wakanda, as he returns to his isolated, technologically advanced home to succeed to the throne after his father’s death. The film’s director, Ryan Coogler, and all-star cast include some of Hollywood’s most celebrated black talent.

However, despite Black Panther being based on a comic book created by iconic Marvel Comics publisher Stan Lee, the film has been breathlessly praised for its glowing depiction of black dynamism.

“I cried when it was announced. I cried at the visuals. I cried at the #SDCC Marvel booth,” declared another user. “I cried in joy. Their blackness is mine. My blackness is theirs.”

https://twitter.com/IfIWereMagneto/status/960923534389374979

Others, however, pointed out the hypocrisy of promoting the film and buying tickets and merchandise, which was produced by Disney’s Marvel Studios, instead of investing money into the black community, and noted that it was absurd to praise the film for racial reasons.

https://twitter.com/Moj_kobe/status/961993052444286976