The movie has also renewed calls for the release of more than a dozen imprisoned members of the real Black Panther Party. We speak to historian Robyn C. AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! As Black History Month wraps up, we turn now to a film that is making history as we speak. Black Panther had the highest—fifth-highest-earning opening weekend of any film in U. But I have never seen anything like this. How much more are you hiding? The movie has also renewed calls for the release of more than a dozen imprisoned members of the real Black Panther Party. Black Panther has also ignited a firestorm of impassioned social commentary online among fans and detractors alike. The film generated so much buzz, it was reportedly one of the most tweeted-about films of 2017, despite not even opening until 2018. Back in December, a video went viral of two African-American men at a movie theater standing in front of the Black Panther movie poster. AFRICAN- AMERICAN MAN 1: What? And the conclusion that we have come to— AFRICAN- AMERICAN MAN 1: All the time? AFRICAN- AMERICAN MAN 2: —is that this is what white people get to feel all the time. AFRICAN- AMERICAN MAN 1: All the time! AFRICAN- AMERICAN MAN 2: Since the beginning of cinema— AFRICAN- AMERICAN MAN 1: All the time! AFRICAN- AMERICAN MAN 2: —you get to feel empowered like this and represented. AFRICAN- AMERICAN MAN 1: This? I would love this country, too. Spencer, writer Carvell Wallace and professor Christopher Lebron, who have all written extensive pieces. Spencer is a historian and author of, oh, The Revolution Has Come: Black Power, Gender, and the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California. Lay out the story of Black Panther. CARVELL WALLACE: Well, the story—the kind of narrative fiction background is that there is an African nation named Wakanda that was the recipient of a meteor that landed some many millennia ago, that contains a precious and incredibly strong metal called vibranium. And because of this metal, this country, being largely in sole possession of it, has advanced technologically, personally, artistically, militaristically, in a way that far outstrips the rest of the world. CARVELL WALLACE: Yeah, so, in 1966, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Black Panther character, and the character has gone through several runs, written by a lot of different authors and illustrators. The most recent run, Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote, the run that went, I guess, from 2013, '14, until 2016. And that's sort of what led to the creation of the film. AMY GOODMAN: You talk, Robyn Spencer, about the significance of going to this movie with your 12-year-old daughter. It was an amazing experience for me to listen to her reactions and responses as she watched the film. So, for her, it was a really transformative moment to sort of be there and take in not just the film, but for it to be a film that was so widely celebrated. It was everyone, dressed up, singing, dancing, enjoying. So it was a real experience for her. COMPUTER: Remote driving system activated. Which side of the road is it? SHURI: OK, calm down. Hey, look at your suit. AMY GOODMAN: So, talk about that scene, Robyn Spencer. And the star power of this film, from the women to the men, is, you know, across the board, quite amazing. But to have that embodied in, you know, a reverent, relatable young woman was truly amazing. AMY GOODMAN: And talk about the other roles of women. I think that that character really represents an alternative ideological vision for Wakanda. So, that character is a spy who goes around the world, who kind of challenges the isolationist practices of Wakanda by taking their resources, their strength, their military prowess, and using that to assist in areas of the world that need that kind of assistance. DANAI GURIRA: The Dora Milaje are women who pledged their lives to the throne and to the security of the kingdom. DANAI GURIRA: My character, Okoye, is the general of the armed forces as a whole. She was born with a warrior spirit. NAKIA: I got into a disagreement, made a bit of a mess. DANAI GURIRA: Training was very, very interesting. The Dora have a way of fighting that was supposed to be inspired by moving as one. The Dora work together to take down somebody, like the fight we have with Killmonger. Your thoughts, Robyn Spencer? I mean, Okoye, I think, was a breakout star in the film. I think, really, to see the power of women and to see it be a collective power and the type of leadership that was exercised was truly amazing. And they were visually stunning, to just observe these women with closely cropped hair, powerfully challenging and protecting. Women as protectors, I think, is not something that we oftentimes see. In addition to writer Carvell Wallace and historian Robyn C.
