These Are Not Your Negroes
I know that you are excited about Black Panther. I know that all the memes that Black Tumblr and Black Twitter are creating are hilarious and wonderful, as is all media we create. After all, itβs already the best Marvel movie ever made, with the most beautiful cast, and the most perfect costumes and special effects.
That being said thoughβ¦ please think long and hard about how you talk about characters in this movie. Tβchalla is not your bae. Killmonger is not your precious son. Shuri is not your wife. Absolutely none of the characters are your children or your smol anything. Most specifically? The characters ARENβT YOURS.
The language of anti-black racism is often couched in terms of infantilization and ownership. I donβt give a shit if youβre just putting it in tags, be careful how you interact textually and mentally with black characters.
Black Panther is a movie for black people. Sure, a lot of people are going to see it, but this movie is, for many a black nerd, a lifelong dream. Itβs ours, and while you get to share it, you donβt get to fucking claim it.Β
The MCU fandom already turns black characters into mammys and servants and sidekicks for their white favs, and itβs bullshit. You turn black pain into plot points for your white favs. Basically you have a long history of treating black characters like shit, and Iβm here to tell you to cut that shit out.
Your white favs do not belong in Wakanda. They donβt belong there in meta, in head canons, in fic. The only reason Buckwheat Barnes gets to be there is because heβs currently being used as a decorative ice sculpture for state dinners. You have literally the rest of the entire fucking MCU, go play in that sandbox and leave Wakanda alone.Β
Me, and Black Fans Everywhere Who Are Tired of Your Shit
P.S. I know yβall wonβt listen and a bunch of you are gonna get your panties in a twist over this, but let this serve as a letter of notice that I will come for you if I see even a HINT of White Nonsenseβ’ on posts about Black Panther and itβs cast.