“Stand Up You Are a King.” The True Underlying Theme of Black Panther for Black Boys.

Although my husband and I missed the initial frenzy of the Black Panther opening weekend, we were able to have a nice day date today, that included the movie and lunch. I was so excited to finally see what all of the hype was about and I was not disappointed.  The cast, the imagery, the technology, the focus on people of all beautiful brown colors was amazing. I sat in awe watching the tribal traditions and culture that are not often depicted in mainstream movies of this magnitude.

There was one scene in the movie that to others may have been insignificant but was poignant to me.  When T’Challa kneeled before his father T’Chaka and he immediately told him, “stand up, you are a king.” Stand up! You. Are. A. King. The very message I try to instill in my son everyday. When the frustration of learning takes it’s toll on him and ultimately leads to the inevitable, “I can’t do it!” My response is always, “you can do anything that you put your mind to, you’re a king you’ve got this.”

The things that we learn early in life, we tend to take with us, into adulthood. Black boys need to know that their portrayal in our eyes is not that of thugs, convicts, inferiors, target practice and cool gorillas, as depicted in that H&M clothing ad. They are important, they are valuable, they are sovereign, playing a fundamental role in the functionality of our household structure and communities, especially when they grow from boys to men.

The bubble that is my home, is feverishly preparing my son for his role in the world. However, there are so many facets to his development, that it can be overwhelming. He’s only four years old but eventually, there will be talks of interaction with police, commingling with and adapting to, those that don’t understand his culture, going above and beyond and reaching just a bit higher than others to accomplish what is customary to some. This list goes on. However, the underlying principle of it all, is to remain regal. Always be a king. In our daily morning mantra, I ask my son, “what are we going to use today?” To which he replies, “our manners and be polite and use respect and no crying.” (He added “no crying” on his own.) I then ask, “what will we be today?” and he responds, “great!”
My husband and I are grooming him towards greatness. While he’s rambunctious, energized and every now and again tantruming, he is polite, kind, loving and I’ve never seen him hurt or be mean to another child.

We named him Chiefton (Chieftain,) which by definition is the leader of a people or clan. Giving him a strong name was our first attempt in setting him on the path for success. Explaining to him the principles that make for being a decent human being solidifies the true definition of his name. There must be a continued effort to inform, promote and reinforce the magnificence of black boys. They are after all,  our future Malcolm X’s, our future Barack Obama’s, our future King’s.

The movie Black Panther, is more than just a superhero movie for black and brown children. It’s another way for them to see themselves as greatness through the portrayal of the characters being something other than the villain or the antagonist. They get to see someone who looks like them, be regal, be the hero, the protectors, and the scientist. Representation matters for our youth and I’m glad that mainstream media, is taking note of that.