Black Panther: The Cultural Bridge That United Black People Everywhere

Ryan Coogler’s film connected Africa and its diaspora, portraying the continent as a sanctuary built on Black unity.

A photo of Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o and Michael B. Jordan doing the 'Wakanda Forever' sign - arms crossed in front of the chest.

'Black Panther' bridged Africa and its diaspora in never-before-seen ways, a celebration that transcended the screen and brought Black people to cinemas wearing colorful outfits that signaled their pride to be Black.

Illustration by Miguel Plascencia for OkayAfrica.

As OkayAfrica marks our 15th anniversary, we're taking a look back at 15 defining African moments of the past 15 years that deserve to be remembered, and the impact they've had. In chronological order, here's Moment No. 8.

Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther brought Black people everywhere to Wakanda, a fictional, dreamy paradise shaped by the gifts of primeval spirits, Afrofuturism, and harmony between environment and technology. Featuring an almost all-Black cast, its rare level of elevated representation was invigorating, a pan-African vision with accents, clothes, architectural set designs, and cultural touchstones inspired by the many people, tribes and places in Africa.

The blockbuster superhero film bridged Africa and its diaspora in never-before-seen ways, a celebration that transcended the screen and brought Black people to cinemas wearing colorful outfits that signaled their pride to be Black. Pride to be connected to Africa.

Watch our video looking back at that moment below:

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