Conley 1

Kathleen Conley

Professor Granillo

English 103 Honors

17 November 2018

Black Panther: Feminist and Racial Theory

Agent Everett Ross, a character within Black Panther once remarked, “You’re telling me

that the king of a Third World country runs around in a bulletproof catsuit?” Marvel’s movie,

Black Panther proves to be a landmark for superhero movies in Hollywood entertainment. This

could be owed to its diverse cast of characters who represent people of color of both African

American and purely African descent in the context of the movie. Black Panther is not only a

superhero movie, but a film that provides a commentary which reflects racial relations between

African-Americans, Africans, and Caucasians. Not only does the movie touch upon racial issues,

but it also subverts many female tropes and archetypes found within Hollywood movies as the

feminist theory points out. At its core, feminism is a movement which strives for equality

between both women and men. However, for a long period of time, feminism has served to

benefit only Caucasian women, which is reflected within certain films which are frequently

hailed as feminist works. On the other hand, women of color characters within film have often

been, “Othered,” or hardly showcased much at all with nuance, complexity, or independence.

The movie Black Panther subverts this common pitfall through the characters of Shuri, Nakia,

and Okoye. These three women of color reflect struggles that coincide with their race such as

racism, whilst subverting eurocentrism and stereotypical roles people of color are often placed

under within movies. In terms of feminism, the movie gives the three women their own

independent character arc and avoids the concept of, “The Other,” as well as the angel vs. devil
 Conley 2

ideology. Black Panther allows women of all ethnic backgrounds to see themselves represented

and reflected within media that has neglected them countless times within the past and ignite

possible curiosity towards audience members not familiar with women of African descent.

The movie, Black Panther takes placed in a fictional country known as Wakanda. This

country has been long segregated from the rest of the African continent, thus most of its nation

was preserved from European colonialism and its negative effects. Though, this shifts as the

movie progresses onwards. Black Panther focuses on the protagonist T’Challa, the recently

crowned king of the Wakanda nation after the death of his father. T’Challa then learns to face the

many challenges ruling a kingdom entails. An outsider to the nation nicknamed, Killmonger

wishes to use the substance known as Vibranium to fashion advanced weapons in the United

States. Killmonger wishes to do this in order to overthrow United States government he views as

corrupt, due to the institutionalized racial oppression currently enforced by Caucasian

individuals. The movie ends with T’Challa enacting a peace conference between the United

States government and the Wakandan kingdom. While this summary appears to contain a lot of

focus on the character of T’Challa, it’s the women characters that surround T’Challa who shine

within this movie by venturing out on hero’s journey’s and go through development.

Contrarywise, some critics who have seen the movie argue that the characters arcs are

tiresome, flat, and cease in adding much depth in comparison to some other movies Marvel has

done in the past which feature white and male protagonists. Dan G. on Common Sense Media

shares these criticisms, stating, “…I did not enjoy the film, found it patronizing and rather dull. I

enjoy most Marvel movies but not this one. Not as much foul language as Ant Man but more

violent than any Marvel movie I’ve ever seen, with no real cleverness or charm as seen in Iron

Man, Dr. Strange, Ant Man or most others” (Dan G.). Yet, despite certain individuals believing
 Conley 3

the characters to possess flat personalities and dull arcs, it does not eliminate the significance of

representation of both women and people of color within the movie. This movie is merely a

stepping stone in the process of granting female women of color a spotlight and voice within

movies. As Hollywood develops diverse stories, more nuance, originality, and complexity should

be added to the characters in order to stand up to par with white superhero movies that may

feature these themes in the eyes of certain viewers.

Hollywood is known for its racial stereotypes and caricatures in movies throughout

history which Black Panther attempts to subvert through its characters. Nonetheless, the scene in

which Nakia converses with T’Challa about the problems Wakanda faces manages to subvert

these common clichés. Critical Race theory examined by Dubois lays out these clichés that the

white publishers are said to be bias towards:

‘It is not interesting’ -- to white folk, naturally not. They want Uncle Toms, Topsies,

good ‘darkies’ and clowns…A young man says that he started out to write and had his

stories accepted…He submitted a story to a magazine which said, ‘We are sorry, but we

cannot take it.’ I sat down and revised my story, changing the color of the characters and

the locale and sent it under an assumed name with a change of address and it was

accepted by the same magazine that had refused it, the editor promising to take anything

else I might send in providing it was good enough” (Du Bois).

None of the characters within Black Panther, fit archetypes such as the Uncle Tom for black

males or the mammy for black women. Both these tropes boiled down to their core are

essentially characters of color who are overly servile in nature, namely towards white

individuals. Nakia subverts this servile stereotype immediately, as she is a spy who must balance

her love with her country and her duty to help the vulnerable which is demonstrated in her
 Conley 4

conversation with T’Challa. Nakia’s duty is to Wakanda, a nation filled with Africans, not

Caucasians while the vulnerable people she wishes to protect are oppressed African Americans,

“I found my calling out there. I’ve seen to many in need just to turn a blind eye. I can’t be happy

here knowing that there’s people out there who have nothing” (Lee, Kirby, Coogler, & Cole).

The mammy trope is deeply rooted within Eurocentric and racist ideologies because the

character ceases in having an arc of their own whilst catering to white individuals. Here, while

Nakia does want to aide other individuals, those she wishes to aide are not white, but black. This

also tarnishes eurocentrism since in this context, oppressed black individuals are the ones Nakia

wishes send help to and are put in center focus in her mind and conversation with T’Challa. To

Nakia, people of her descent and race come first before all others. The servile role black women

are commonly placed in is also subverted, because while T’Challa attempts to push back on

Nakia’s motivation and ideas, she resists by saying, “Wakanda is strong enough to help others

and protect ourselves at the same time” (Lee, Kirby, Coogler, & Cole). Normally, a more overly

servile black character would cease in arguing back as Nakia’s character does and relent to

T’Challa’s words. Though, Nakia presses on in her desires to extend Wakanda’s technology to

help other African Americans who need it. With all this in mind, Nakia’s character is significant

to critical race theory for all the themes she encompasses and the clichés she subverts.

The next scene which is significant to critical racial theory, is the interrogation scene

where T’Challa and Okeye converse with Everett about individuals abusing vibranium. Everett

gives T’Challa a pat on the shoulder without asking permission from Okeye which leads her to

mutter angrily in her native African tongue. To Everett’s dismay, he is unable to understand her

native tongue and appears curious to what she may be saying about him. In movies a common

cliché would be to place a person of color in a position where they struggle to understand
 Conley 5

English or speak it brokenly. Here, Okeye speaks sternly within her native language confidently

and without discomfort, saying, “If he touches you again, I’m going to impale him to this desk”

(Lee, Kirby, Coogler, & Cole). It could be said that Okeye is subverting the, “Good darkie,”

quote mentioned within Dubois’ critical race theory analysis. She shows no hesitance in

protecting her king, even if it means committing an unpleasant action. Her sternness within this

scene also contrasts the optimistic or servile attitude Dubois pointed out. A confused Everett then

proceeds to ask if she speaks English, to which she responds, “When she wants to” (Lee, Kirby,

Coogler, & Cole). As mentioned above, this flips the cultural position of power and language

barrier to Okeye rather then Everett who is Caucasian. Okeye within the context of this scene

subverts the idea of Eurocentrism because she holds the majority of power within this scene over

Everett. This role reversal of an African American woman within film is significant because it

has hardly been shown before within big Hollywood movies.

The last significant scene to analyze in relation to critical race theory is the scene

between T’Challa and his little sister, Shuri. Within the scene, Shuri shows T’Challa around her

lab, filled to the brim with advanced Wakandan technology which she headed in crafting.

According to theorists Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, it is a common misconception that

those who live within African countries lack education or intelligence in terms of the science and

engineering, “…Educated Europeans held a generally positive attitude towards Africans,

recognizing that African civilization was highly advanced with vast libraries and centers of

learning” (Delgado & Stefancic). This misconception as well as the uncivilized savage cliché

black individuals face within movies is subverted within this scene. This is shown especially

through Shuri’s development of the Black Panther, suit which is bulletproof and lightweight.

Likewise, this technology appears to be more advanced in comparison to the technology

available within the United States, which leads to other characters resorting to Shuri’s lab and

crew for aide. Shuri herself is highly intelligent and this is shown in her dialogue with her

brother whilst discussing the tech he will be utilizing within his mission, “Here are your

communication devices for Korea. Unlimited range, also equipped with audio surveillance

system” (Lee, Kirby, Coogler, & Cole). Shuri’s intellect demonstrated to audiences, aides in

providing an image of a highly intelligent and educational black woman, not often given the

spotlight within media. Black girls are also able to see themselves in Shuri and aspire to work

within the STEM field which is often dominated by male Caucasian individuals.

Moving back to the scene with Nakia and T’Challa, the idea of feminist theory is strongly

showcased. Again, it is significant to note that the feminist movement has a reputation of

catering to prosperous white women throughout the years whilst othering black women. Simone

de Beauvoir states that in order to subvert otherness, women characters must possess depth and

substance like other human beings, “...it is necessary for the Other to be for itself an other, for its

very subjectivity to be affected by its otherness; this consciousness which would be alienated as

a consciousnessin its pure immanent presence, would evidently be Mystery” (Beauvoir).

Essentially, the term, “Other,” in a fictional framework would mean the female character is

merely defined by the men around her and lacks traits a normal human individual would possess.

While Nakia is T’Challa’s love interest she does not submit to being othered throughout the

movie as shown in her exchange with him, “If you were not so stubborn you would make a great

queen,” to which Nakia replies, “I would make a great queen because I am stubborn…if that is

what I wanted” (Lee, Kirby, Coogler, & Cole). This banter between Nakia and T’Challa

demonstrates Nakia’s refusal to be othered. It also shows that she possesses deeper substance as

a character who refuses to be ordered around or comply with T’Challa’s command.

Nakia is also subverting the angel vs. monster outlook, a black and white moral concept

that is commonly slapped on women within literature, “…Until quite recently the woman writer

has had (if only unconsciously) to define herself as a mysterious creature who resides behind the

angel or monster or angel/ monster image that lives on…’the crystal surface’" (Gilbert & Gubar).

Essentially, the angel vs. monster concept is a patriarchal constructed ideology that states that

there are only overly angelic women or devious backstabbing evil women. Any woman that

demonstrated gray morality is looked upon skeptically. Nakia subverts this within the scene as

T’Challa seems generally amused by her answer rather then being alarmed, judgemental, or

negative. This scene ensures that Nakia will not be othered or treated as a, “Monster,” within her

society’s eyes.

Okoye is another strong example of subverting female archetypes within Hollywood

media. Okoye is T’Challa’s personal bodyguard and consistently displays that she can hold her

own in fights against men. Going back, audiences can see hints of this behavior in the scene

between Everett, T’Challa, and her where she reacts negatively to Everett touching the king

without permission. As mentioned, she threatens to impale Everett to the table if he keeps

touching the king without his permission. In the past, most women in movies were often depicted

as nurturing or passive in nature. Within this scene, Okoye demonstrates loyal, but is stern and

rigid in character. Like Nakia, Okoye subverts the angel vs. monster theory because T’Challa

shows general amusement with her behavior afterwards rather then discomfort or abhorrence,

remarking with a laugh, “Okeye. Play nice” (Lee, Kirby, Coogler, & Cole). Okoye could easily

be thrown into the monster category if T’Challa scorned her for her behavior or the movie

painted her actions within this scene in a negative and abhorrent light. Okoye’s character is

significant because she demonstrates that women can be stern or rigid without being labeled as
 Conley 8

toxic or rude. Also, the mannerisms Okoye reflects within her character are commonly

associated with masculinity, which the language barrier scene subverts.

Shuri within Black Panther is shown to be the inventor and creator of T’Challa’s suit and

other technology which he utilizes within battle. Shuri not only is displayed as a woman working

within the STEM line of work, but as a woman who leads scientists and engineers within her

field. This idea is not often depicted with a focus in movies due to patriarchal stereotypes with

women in STEM and leadership positions, “…women are not perceived as a good fit for

leadership positions due to their supposed communal and feminine qualities that do not

necessarily fit into what society thinks a leader should be. The belief that men are more agentic

while women are more communal does not allow women to fit with the specific ideologies of

what a leader is and what qualities they should possess in order to succeed in leadership

positions” (Locke) This cliché was subverted within the scene where Shuri takes her brother on a

tour of her lab and technology. This is because T’Challa never scorns or questions Shuri’s

leadership position within her field. Rather, T’Challa appears to have a smile on his face

throughout the scene which demonstrates his general optimism pertaining to the situation. Shuri

is important because she challenges the patriarchal status quo currently found within the STEM

fields. Shuri’s character may also inspire young girls to look into scientific and technological

fields she’s shown within.

Reflecting on all these points, Black Panther serves to benefit those within the African

American community, especially black women. This is achieved through introducing the

prospective of characters who come from Africa, a culture that is not normally seen within films,

to individuals that do not come from African descent. The film may also aide the future

generation of black children as Shelley Mesch’s article puts it, “Black children may not see
 Conley 9

people in those roles everyday, so representing people of color in prominent and diverse roles in

the media may be where those children can see roles they envision themselves growing into”

Thus, returning to the counter argument that the film may possess flat characters, the

representation of an all-black cast is fairly important to black children growing up. The three

women shown within the movie may also help little girls of color find themselves on the big

screen. Shamia Weldon, a thirteen year old girl showcases this resonation and admiration for the

women in the movie, “’It just showed me that black women are powerful,’ the 13-year-old said,

‘that they can do as much as men’” (Thalji). Moreover, Caucasian individuals possess a variety

of films with flat characters, thus, any representation at this stage makes a big difference to the

general audience. As Hollywood progresses forward, these characters should be filled with

deeper complexities and nuances that may touch audiences on a deeper level like some

Caucasian films do. For a long while, movies featuring black individuals have long been denied

due to the belief that they would not sell, “For a long time, Hollywood refused to believe that

white audiences would attend minority movies — or even bothered to test the theory. A group of

largely white male executives rarely greenlit stories about black America” (Zeitchik). With Black

Panther breaking box office records, the room for storyline improvement does not stop here for

Hollywood. Overall, this movie may also make other individuals intrigued about learning more

pertaining to pre-colonial African culture and its people, which has been a subject commonly

brushed over in education.

In conclusion, Black Panther’s female characters break common stereotypes both

associated with women and people of color. Black Panther stands out in comparison to other

movies because of its unique take on women of color that is often underrepresented within

Eurocentric media. Nakia represents a female character who, despite being T’Challa’s love
 Conley 10

interest, is independent and possesses motivations of her own. Nakia also wishes to aide other

African Americans in need above all else. The character of Okoye subverts the old cliché of

putting a women within a caring and nurturing position, by making her T’Challa’s personal

guard. Okoye holds most of the power in the scenes she’s in and proves that a woman of color

can stand on par with a man. Shuri’s character subverts the uneducated negro trope, whilst also

showcasing a woman in leadership position within the STEM field. By producing and making

more movies like Black Panthers, individuals further diverge from the perceived status quo

within society.
 Conley 11

Works Cited

Beauvoir, Simone de. The Second Sex. New York: Vintage Books 1989, c1952. Print.

Delgado, Richard, and Jean Stefancic. Critical Race Theory: An Introduction. New York: New

York University Press, 2001. Print.

Du Bois, W.E.B. “Criteria of Negro Art.” The Crisis, Vol. 32, October 1926.

G., Dan. “Dan G. | Common Sense Media.” Common Sense Media: Ratings, Reviews, and

Advice. Common Sense Media, 1 Jan. 1970, www.commonsensemedia.org/users/ddg101.

Gilbert, Sandra, and Gubar Susan. The Madwoman in the Attic : the Woman Writer and the

Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination. New Haven :Yale University Press, 1979.

Print.

Lee, Stan, Kirby, Jack, Coogler, Ryan and Cole Joe. Black Panther. Netflix.

https://www.netflix.com/watch/80201906?trackId=13752289&tctx=0%2C0%2C06c30a1

132cdf072aca9845012d5b52a58353ffe%3Af9ca4ed1f62fa947924c4f9c4d1a0372e3502b

59%2C%2C

Locke, Janna. Are Women Opting Out of STEM Leadership Positions? the Impact of Stereotype

Threat, Internalized Sexism, and Leadership Self-Efficacy on Women in STEM. Southern

Illinois University at Edwardsville, Ann Arbor, 2016. ProQuest,

http://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2048/login?url=https://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2457/docview/1

808406405?accountid=38295.

Mesch, Shelley K. "'Black Panther' Film 'Rooted in Black Empowerment and Black Power'

Arrives in Madison Theaters." University Wire. Feb 16, 2018. ProQuest,

http://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2048/login?url=https://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2457/docview/2

002519556?accountid=38295.
 Conley 12

Thalji, Jamal. "In Black Panther, Kids Finally See Themselves Starring on Screen." ProQuest,

Feb 25, 2018,

http://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2048/login?url=https://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2457/docview/2

007900982?accountid=38295.

Zeitchik, Steven. "‘Black Panther’ just Broke Box-Office Records. but some Worry it’ll be the

Exception, Not the Rule." ProQuest, Feb 16, 2018,

http://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2048/login?url=https://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2457/docview/2

002917143?accountid=38295.