My Takeaway from The Black Panther

I finally got to watch The Black Panther last week and I must say that it was worth every bit of my time. I acknowledge the varying opinions and criticisms about the movie; we view the world from various lenses after-all.

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Apart from showcasing Africa's glory, unity and potentials, some lines stood out for me in the movie and below are some of those lines and what I make of them.

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King T'Chaka: A man who has not prepared his children for his own death has failed as a father.

So many parents have failed or are failing in their parental responsibilities by not preparing their children for the life-after upon their demise. Some parents leave riches, flint of cars, houses in choice estates, shares and all sorts for their children, but if all you're leaving for your children is material wealth, you've failed. You should leave your children with values and virtues that will help them sustain the wealth.

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children. . . Proverbs 13:22

In Yoruba Language, a wise saying is literally translated to mean, the child we refuse to build will sell the house we built. So, beyond building affluence, ensure you build your children by equipping them for life.

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King T'Chaka: Have I ever failed you?
T'Chala: Never. . .

This conversation between King T'Chaka and his son, T'Chala struck a cord in me. I want to be that kind of parent that will be proud to ask to my children i ever failed them and they would be able to answer sincerely that I didn't.

Although, T'Chala later found out that his father,out of error of judgment, had raised a monster in Erik Killmonger, T'Chala did all he could to clear the mess and right the wrong of his father. It takes a child who's been trained and equipped for life to do that.

I know you cannot be everything to your children, but where it matters, do not fail them.

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T'Chala: How best to protect Wakanda?
King T'Chaka: You're going to struggle, so you need to surround yourself with people you trust.

The initial part of King T'Chaka's response brings to mind a wise saying:

he who will eat the honey in the mountain will not consider the axe head.

The journey of life is a herculean task and no one can survive this terrain living as an island. To realize your dreams and aspirations, there are bound to be challenges here and there, but having the right people as your support system will help you sail through.

Be trustworthy.
Build friendship.
Be loyal. You need the kind of loyalty displayed by Okoye in the movie.

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King T'Chaka: You're a good man with a good heart and it is hard for a good man to be king.

However unpleasant and unfortunate the above statement might sound, it is the sad reality we have to live with. From the little i have been privileged to see in Nigerian politics and the politicking of some other climes, i couldn't agree any less with King T'Chaka.

When the choice of leadership comes in our political space, good men are often unpopular candidates. Some good men resign to "fate" and would rather watch from afar to avoid being contaminated. The few good men that take the chance of vying, are not the people's choice. For how long would we have to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea?

When it comes to the choice of those that will steer the course of leadership in a place like Nigeria, you want to consider the candidate that is the lesser evil. Why does it have to be hard for good men to be king? Why it has to be so, I'm yet to find answers.

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Shuri:The idea is not to be noticed.

This statement was uttered by Shuri when her brother, *King T'Chala was trying on the protective shields made from vibranium, she's just designed before going after Klaw.

You don't need the exposure every time.

Allow your works and giant strides do the talking for you. It's okay to strike from the background, sometimes. Don't be in a hurry to announce your arrival, remember that,

empty barrel makes the louder noise.

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Nakia: You can't let your father's mistakes define who you are. . .You get to decide the kind of king you are going to be.

Still wallowing in disappointment about his father's only mistake as a king, King T'Chala was downcast 😔. Nakia, as she sat with him on the mountain, had to awaken him to the reality he had to deal with.

Enough of musing over the errors of your father.
Stop regurgitating past mistakes.
Wake up!

When do you want to take charge of your life going forward?
You might have been born out of wedlock but you aren't a misfit; you're a proper child.

Your life is now in your hands, so, take charge.
You cannot change the past, but you have the power to shape the future.

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Okoye: I am loyal to that throne no matter who sits on it.

This statement struck me. Okoye uttered this statement when Nakia approached her to assist her in overthrowing Erik. In as much as King T'Chala was dear to Okoye's heart, Okoye, placed premium on the interest of Wakanda over and above the relationship she had with the King.

This kind of loyalty is what is missing in our world today. So many embark on an evil cause out of loyalty to another thus jeopardizing the general good. How many people have their loyalty reposed in the collective good of the land? There abounds out there too many people with wild and untamed passion for vengeance and revenge over a tale they do not fully understand.

Lack of this kind of loyalty as displayed by Okoye, is the reason terrorism, ethnic clashes, and some other vices are on the rise in our beloved country.

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Nakia:It's my duty to fight for what I love.

Nakia went all the way to demand justice for the slaying of King T'Chala. She did that despite being his ex. Although she was his ex, but the fire of the love they once professed to each other was still burning in her heart.

So many people today cannot fight for their love. Some have allowed the fire of their love to grow cold because of situations they would have faced and conquered.

The fight for true love is a just and noble cause. What would have been the fate of King T'Chala and the entire Wakanda kingdom had Nakia chosen to resign to fate upon T'Chala's defeat at the challenge?

Fate is sometimes our own making.
Don't be too quick to accept defeat.
Remember that line in the Fireproof song,

love is not a fight, but it's something worth fighting for.

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King T'Chala: What connects us is more than what separates us.

Oh yeah! I love this line. Look beyond the ethnic divides, look beyond the skin colour, gender, race and whatever has been your schism wall. At the core of our being is love, humaneness. You don't want to trade these for some selfish interests.
Look at the bigger picture.
Together we are, together we can.

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King T'Chala: In crises, the wise build bridges but the foolish build barriers.

This citation and the previous one were taken from T'Chala's speech as he presented Wakanda to other nations.

What do you do in crisis? Do you build bridges or you build walls? Some hold on to hurts for so long that they keep wallowing in bitterness for years and make forgiveness impossible. It's not fair.

A house divided against itself cannot stand, so says the Holy Book. Do not self destruct your relationships.

You'd be hurt, but you don't have to stay hurt forever.
Don't make crisis resolution impossible for your partner.
Stop stonewalling him/her/them.
For how long do you want to hold on to the pain?

Let go and love again.

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THE END

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Thank you for reading this post. I would appreciate your thoughts in the comment section.

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