Imlisanen Jamir The Black Panther is the latest offering from the fantastical repertoire of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now that is an opener that I can safely assume is not familiar when it comes to editorials in Nagaland media. But there you go! The Black Panther is a depiction of an American specific black experience, a story that delves into the tragedies and complexities that have engulfed black Americans till today. While it has very specific race-nation referential elements to it, ethnic minorities and oppressed communities can still draw parallels to the message—including us Nagas. The Black Panther name itself was revolutionary, but not by association with the Black Panther Party, whose prominence the character largely antedated. No, the revolutionary act was the use of “black” at a moment when the polite word was still “Negro.” By choosing to call him what they did, the character’s creators, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, were casting their lot with a younger generation of activists in the struggle for racial justice. From the beginning, the Black Panther character was compelling because he stood in stark contrast to the historical and symbolic constructions of Africans as simple tribal people and Africa as primitive—a tag that the Naga peoples have had to be on the receiving end of as well. The Black Panther lured world-famous white superheroes to his country to test his mettle against theirs. He beat them. Behind the comic lay the subversive idea that there lies a concealed mighty force that on some unexpected occasion could rise up from nowhere and smite the oppressor. In addition to this, the Black Panther comics as well as the current movie delves into another pertinent motif of the Naga experience—that of revolution. Yes, the hidden power was lurking; but no, it wouldn’t be used. Not, at least, for revolution. The new film’s writers cleverly use that very issue as the story’s pivot. The central conflict is between T’Challa, who wishes to protect the tradition of a Wakanda hidden from outside eyes, and Erik Killmonger, who wants to use the nation’s technological prowess to spark a worldwide uprising. This is a conflict that continues to persist in the Naga existence as well. But even more pertinent than these themes, is perhaps that of inclusivity in what is considered the mainstream. Representation matters, and not just as tokens in political and state podiums. In an age where xenophobia has surged, and activism is trolled, the marginalised need symbols to rally them, to inspire new heroes, to help us build a society and planet united not by fear, but by respect, love, and justice.
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