A lot has been made about the new Black Panther movie. Originally, for me, the excitement of the Marvel franchise was my motivation to watch the movie. Marvel comics have been a part of my life for the last 40 years. The Marvel Universe has been a joy to read since I was a child, and to witness the transformation in cinema has been an amazing experience.
Some of the hype for Black Panther is different from past offerings from Marvel. Black Panther reflects African-American heritage. The story line is unique. The audience is taken to a world of wonder in Africa, that no one knew about. We meet the Wakandans... an advanced civilization. However, the creative twist is that the Wakanda kingdom ignored the plight of the rest of the world, which provides an interesting take on oppression.
This is why I enjoy reading Marvel Comics. Marvel, unlike their DC counterpart has always intertwined social issues into their story line. Each superhero has a flaw that represents the world we live in. Black Panther provides an alternative reality that allows the reader, and viewer to think about oppression. The movie Black Panther was well written, and delved into relevant issues that impact all Americans.
Even with all of the talking points about the story, there was a subtle story line that deserves to be a part of the conversation merely by attending the movie Black Panther. The talking point is segregation. The movie, depending on where you live demonstrates that we as a society have strong elements of segregation.
I live in community of us and them. Minorities see the world through the eyes of an Anglo-American bias. Attending the movie Black Panther truly brought this to light. What struck me about going to see Black Panther was the amount of African-Americans that I saw at the movies. It was the most diverse representation of an audience I have seen in our city. It lead me to ask, why is that? The answer, Hollywood movies for the most part, speak to white America. More importantly, local cinema offerings do not bring us together. What struck me is that most people in the theater did not notice the subtle change in audience. Black Panther is a lesson is the importance of cultural diversity in all that we do as a society.
The diversity of our society is truly not represented in our mainstream cinema. It is important for whites to imagine what the world must seem like for people of color. When whites see the world with a critical lens, our society can connect indifference to intolerance. This leads to further questions. When people of color are not represented in positions of power, how does that shape your reality? It transcends gender and color. When children, see a white world, they see reality that does not speak to their own. Segregation starts in our schools, and expands as adults with opportunities for financial success. Power structures are consistent with our childhood upbringing, and then we begin to mistrust what is seen as reality. This is what we can learn about Black Panther. If we could represent our world equitably in cinema, and power structures, we begin to see the world in an inclusive manner. 
