adminObi Egbuna Jnr Simunye
There has been a lot of criticism since January 29, 2018 when imperialist Hollywood’s latest contribution to film “Black Panther” was released.
The film was written by two sons of Africa Ryan Coogler, also directed by brother Coogler.
It was produced by a Caucasian, who is one of the key players in the film industry, Mr Kevin Feige, the current president of Marvel Studios whose films have produced a combined world office gross of US$14 billion.
Virtually every social critic and commentator, patron of the arts, journalist, academician and several political organisers, have used the platforms at their disposal to give their analysis and opinion of the production and its broader impact politically, culturally and intellectually.
The film and screenplay are based on the comic book “Black Panther” originally written by two Caucasians – Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
Because Mother Africa’s obedient children consider our culture truly sacred, we are completely invested in the African cultural and historical reclamation movement that does not distinguish between US-EU imperialism’s mocking and exploitation of our culture and the physical raping and plundering of beloved Mother continent.
When writing his epic essay, “A Dialectical Approach to Culture:, the revolutionary pan-Africanist cultural and political icon, Ahmed Seku Ture, stated: “Before conquering, dominating and subjugating a people, the ruler asserts the superiority of his culture and civilisation and proclaims its civilising mission to those he has declared arbitrarily and unilaterally to be savage, uncultured and without civilisation
“The rulers take it for granted that the understanding of nature with a view to exploiting it in order to promote technical advancement is their exclusive privilege, their property. But opinions more authoritative and more justified than those of imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism stated that nature was understandable and that man, provided he was aware of the historical significance of his existence, was capable of penetrating everyday into the secrets of nature and increasing his power over it in order to increase his control of it.”
The main point this Africa revolutionary giant brilliantly explained is there is nothing at all fictional about defeating the colonialists and imperialists on the battlefield, perhaps the grim reality of recognising how obsessed Africa’s most ruthless enemies are with controlling our human and material resources, demoralises some amongst our ranks but not without hardening the resolve of many others.
When embarking on this path, our children will encounter those who while artistically gifted are guilty of using art and culture to justify political escapism, which explains why they will run from the fight to defend Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and the fight to have US-EU sanctions on Zimbabwe lifted faster than Araminta Ross (better known as Harriet Tubman) had slaves moving on the Underground Railroad to freedom.
Because of Zimbabwe’s current economic hardships that are a direct result of sanctions, it is a pleasurable coincidence to discover that one of the stars of “Black Panther” is the Zimbabwean playwright and actress Danai Gurira, who plays Okoye. Gurira has also played Michonne on the AMC blockbuster television drama series “The Walking Dead”. Sister Gurira is the writer of the Tony Award-wiinning “Eclipsed” and also won an Obie Award and Outer Critics Award for her off Broadway play “In the Continnum”.
We are quite sure that even though Ms Gurira was born in Grinnell, Iowa, and returned to Zimbabwe in 1983 at the age of five, her parents taught her the history of the First and Second Chimurenga.
We hope Ms Gurira has explained to her so-called African American co-stars Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker who played Idi Amin in the “Last King of Scotland:, that the Phillip Morris and RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company planned to use their wealth and influence to push the late Bishop Abel Muzerwa to power during the liberation struggle, because he had agreed to hand them the keys to Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry.
Sister Gurira can also explain the role of Sir Richard Branson in the US-EU imperialist regime change agenda because of the fortune Virgin Airlines stands to make if President Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF are not in power.
While the US Embassy in Zimbabwe sponsored “In The Continnium” in Harare, the question must be posed if Sister Gurira knows how the US-EU imperialist alliance developed a strategy to deny Zimbabwe access to the Global Fund’s resource pool to fight HIV-AIDS as a vindictive response to the Land Reclamation Programme, and if so will she condemn this diplomatic terrorist measure?
Maybe this is wishful thinking since our sister partnered with Johnson & Johnson in their fight against HIV-AIDS. We don’t want to assume because of these mainstream philanthropic activities that our sister is bought and paid for.
One wonders if Sister Gurira has explained Zimbabwe’s Land Reclamation Programme to her “Panther” co-stars, meaning is she willing to defend the cornerstone of Africa’s agricultural revolution the way Okoye and the Dora Milaye defended Wakanda.
It would be wonderful if Sister Gurira brings her “Black Panther” cast and they decide to visit schools in Zimbabwe in order to showcase the 97 percent literacy rate, especially since education was one of Wakanda’s best attributes.
When Chadwick Boseman visits his alma mata Howard University he might be inspired to go to Moorland Spingarn Library and find the “New Dimensions” publication that chronicles former president and liberation icon Comrade R.G. Mugabe’s historic visit to the campus in 1980, when he said all so-called African Americans willing to come home to Zimbabwe and contribute to its development and renaissance are welcomed with open arms.
Because the main character T’Challa will become for little African boys what Superman was for Caucasian children from the mid-1930s to this very day, it would be nice if Sister Guirira introduces Brother Boseman to the family of Josiah Magama Tongogara, for the purpose of learning how he engineered Zimbabwe’s 14-year protracted armed struggle that very few gave them a chance of winning.
It would be extremely timely if Brother Boseman goes and discusses with President Mnangagwa the role he played in the Second Chimurenga from the days of the infamous Crocodile Group and their guerrilla strikes, his stint in prison and his role in training guerrillas in Mozambique and working side by side with Cde Mugabe at pivotal points in the liberation struggle.
This would include the torture he endured at the hands of Rhodesian Special Branch.
Since Sister Angela Bassett played the widow of Malcolm X Betty Shabazz. She can come to Zimbabwe and explore doing a documentary on the life and work of the late pan-African revolutionary Amai Sally Mugabe. This can include an interview with former president and liberation icon Cde R.G. Mugabe about life with Amai Sally from their days at St Mary’s College in Takoradi, Ghan, to assuming power in Zimbabwe.
It is rather interesting that Mr Lee and Mr Kirby introduced the “Black Panther” comic book in July of 1966, exactly five months after Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown by the CIA and British intelligence.
Has Brother Boseman studied the historical relationship between the African Studies Department at Howard University and the US Pentagon, or the role of the Ralph J. Bunche Centre which in partnership with Congressman Charles Rangel is looking to turn out diplomats like Franklin Williams, Susan and Condoleeza Rice and Johnnie Carson like Levis creates denim Jeans and NIKE does sneakers and tennis shoes.
Brother Boseman can then go and tell the young warrior Colin Kapernick smashing police terrorism and the US African Military Command is the same fight.
We are happy that toy soldiers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have used the platform of this “Black Panther” film to give their amateurish perception of pan-Africanist efforts inside US borders and other parts of the Diaspora, let us throw the dogs a bone and hope they don’t choke on it.
Starting with how we migrate to Africa, there are three basic groups: those who go marvelling at the opportunity to fight on the ground like Frantz Fanon in Algeria, Dr W.E.B and Shirley Graham DuBois along with Robert and Sara Lee in Ghana (followed by the illustrious list of comrades who made up the repatriate community), Kwame Ture in Guinee, Pete O’Neil in Tanzania, to name but a few.
The second group are individuals who are financially better off than most, who make their cultural pilgrimage as often as possible, for the record we do want Africans to go to Africa like Muslims go to Mecca and Christians should go to Ethiopia.
The third group go to Africa on the dime of US-EU imperialism, whether they enter courtesy of the US State Department, USAID, NED and NDI or pro-imperialist NGOs. For some reason this group talks the loudest and passes judgment on track records of fighting they know nothing about and wouldn’t partake even if they did.
Let us remember the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey never set foot on African soil but did more than anyone in the 20th century to propagate the notion that liberating Mother Africa is our historical responsibility.
Obi Egbuna Jnr is the US correspondent to The Herald and the External Relations Officer to the Zimbabwe Cuba Friendship Association(Zicufa). His email is [email protected].
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