On February 20, 2018, The Black Studies Program sponsored a field trip to see the box office hit Black Panther. Majors, minors, and friends of the Black Studies Program not only attended this event but met immediately afterwards at the Stoneridge Cinemark Movie Theater to discuss the film and its implications.
The event was led by visiting professor Terrance Dean who is teaching the Black Studies Course: Video Race and Rights. Professor Dean’s background and scholarship in cultural studies and his previous career in the entertainment industry made him an ideal facilitator for this experience. Because of his expertise he was a featured speaker at Vanderbilt University on February 9th, 2018 where a distinguished panel of speakers was amassed to deconstruct the film for the students on Vanderbilt’s campus. Professor Dean’s entire Denison class was offered the opportunity to be a part of the field trip along with majors, minors, and faculty in the Black Studies Program.
Black Panther follows the journey of Prince T’Challa as he must find what it means to be the King of Wakanda that he wishes to be during a time where traditionalism is truly at odds with the modern world. T’Challa must overcome the internal ethical conflicts that come with protecting the lives of a kingdom and holding the mantle of the Black Panther in ways that foreground global justice and Black liberation. In addition to the Black Studies trip to see this groundbreaking film, other Black Studies classes and groups on campus coordinated and planned excursions to see it as well, such as The African Student Association, Agape, and Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.
Professor Dean was impressed with the ways students interrogated major themes from the film spanning: black feminism, black masculinity, queer identity, black beautification, black women/girls in STEM, capitalism, unity/disunity between African vs African American peoples, nation states, Wakanda as an ideal place for black people, Afrofuturism, and the protagonist “Killmonger.” According to Professor Dean, “the Denison students were amazing discussion partners, and they brought their A-game.” He states “I really enjoyed their thoughts, and take-aways from the film!”
