In the occasion of Black History Month, it is important to acknowledge and discuss the African American experience in film and what we as a society have been through to come this far. Most recently, the entertainment industry has seen prominent individuals make a profound impact in film, both in front and back of the camera, from Mahershala Ali to Jordan Peele to Regina King, and so much more.

We have seen many films in past years applying the black experience to a variety of horror, science fiction, historical, and romantic films. As more films are being led by black directors, these instances show the reverberations of a growing cultural movement in the entertainment industry. The entertainment industry has seen a wave of black actors and directors. All the people in these positions have constantly made an appeal to the African American struggle and black identity. However, each of these directors have applied a distinctive power to their films. The stories told in the historical films Greenbook and If Beale Street Could Talk remind people once again of the struggles African Americans have endured throughout history. Other films such as Black Panther and Us show the potential African Americans can have on life, applied through the distinctive genres of science fiction and horror.

The social reverberations set off by these films are seen as watershed moments for representation in film. For example, the blockbuster Marvel film, directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther, has more than just shown the journey of a black man from his princeship to his reign as king of an African isolationist nation, rather it has found its way into the hearts of African Americans and so much more people as a presentation of cultural identity.

The power of Black Panther is that it underscores Afrofuturism, defined as the mix between African culture and technology. It creatively depicts Africa in a way that makes people appreciate who they are culturally. This film is one out of many inspirational films led by black directors that show the power and creativity of the black experience in the entertainment industry.


<Thomas Jang/ Beckman High School 10th grade>