How did the Black Panther become a symbol of black culture?
The symbol of the Black Panther is an iconic symbol that has interested me for a long period of time, so i have decided to dive deeper into the meaning behind the symbolic stature of the 'Black Panther' and the definitive link between the comic and the black culture movement.
Marvel Comic's first black superhero, Black Panther, created in 1966, debuted in Marvel’s “Fantastic 4” comic (Mattimore, R. 2018). During 1966 'The Black Panther Party' was also formed. The name 'Black Panther' for the comic book was considered to be a coincidence as it coincided with the 'Black Panther Party' movement in synchronicity with the comic book being made just months before (Nama, A. P.42. 2011).
The origins of the 'Black Panther Party'.
The Lowndes County Freedom Organization (LCFO), before being known as the Black Panther Party, was started in 1965. In 1966 a lady by the name of Courtland Cox asked to design a business card with an emblem for the party. Focusing on the Clark College emblem, which was a panther, and where the idea of the panther emblem was originated from. "That pouncing black panther gave instant visibility to the newly-formed Lowndes County Freedom Organization as the Black Panther Party" (Cobb, C. 2018).
The LCFO chairman John Hulett explained the symbol as “The Panther is an animal that when pressured moves back until it is cornered, then it comes out fighting for life and death. We felt we had been pushed back long enough and that it was time for Negroes to come out and take over.” (Shaw, D. 2016.). The movement spread all over the nation. Two men Huey, P. Newton and Bobby Seale, asked for permission to use the black panther emblem for their newly formed Black Panther Party. The Black Panther Party became a much more prominent organisation than the LCFO (Shaw, D. 2016.).
The origins of the 'Black Panther' comic-book.
Designed by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Black Panther comic-book was inspired by pulp heroes from the 1930s. (Mitchell, M. 2018). Stan Lee said, "I wanted to create the first black super-hero, but I wanted to avoid stereotyping. I thought...see, in doing a super-hero, the first thing you have to think of is, what is a good name for him, and what is a good super-power? When I was a kid, I loved stories...I think The Phantom...no, The Phantom had a dog...some character had a black panther, and I thought that was so dramatic when I read those stories, and I liked the name, 'The Black Panther.'" Lee continued. "So, I thought, 'Okay, that’ll be the hero, now what do I do with him?' It occurred to me I’d set the scene...the stories...in Africa." (Lee, S. P.38 2011).
To avoid stereotyping, the Black Panther doesn’t live in a regular tribe, he is the prince of a nation. The nation is hidden under the ground and is a country called Wakanda. He is one of the greatest scientists in the world and his country is more scientifically advanced than any. In the comic book the Black Panther doesn’t want his nation contaminated by today’s civilisation, which during the time black people were fighting to have their own cultural identity and portraying that through the 'Black Panther Party' movement. (Lee, S. P.38 2011)
The 'LCFO', the 'Black Panther Party' and the 'Black Panther' comic book are all consequences of the politics of the period, during which "black" became a defining adjective to express the cultural shift in the civil rights movement (Nama, A. P.42. 2011). "Consequently, the Black Panther not only symbolised a politically provocative and wildly imaginative convergence of African tradition with the advanced technology, but he also stood as a progressive racial symbol and anti colonialist critique of the economic exploitation of Africa". (Nama, A. P.43. 2011)
The Black Panther movie
The Black Panther Movie, released in 2018, broke many records being the highest rated Marvel Movie ever and the most successful film with a primarily black cast. This film was released during a lot of racial tension in the US and the movement of 'Black Lives Matter' which is still current to this day. This film managed to balance super heroics with musings on colonialism and democracy and once again became a symbol of black power (Sanderson, P. Roach, D. 2018).
References:
Cobb, C. 2018. From Stokely Carmichael To Kwame Ture By Charlie Cobb, Africa News Service, 21 October 2000. [Online]. [5 November 2018].Available from: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/473.html
Lee, S (2011). Alter Ego #104: The Extraordinary 2005 Audio Sessions With The Man Who Spearheaded Marvel Comics. TwoMorrows Publishing.
Mitchell, M. 2018. THE SECRET HISTORY OF BLACK PANTHER BY STAN LEE. [Online]. [5 November 2018]. Available from: http://www.thegeektwins.com/2018/02/the-secret-history-of-black-panther-by.html
Mattimore, R. 2018. HISTORY. [Online]. [5 November 2018]. Available from: https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther
Nama, A (2011). Super Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes. Texas: University of Texas Press.
Sanderson, P. Roach, D. 2018. Black Panther. [Online]. [5 November 2018]. Available from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Panther-comic-book-character
Shaw, D. 2016. 50 years later – What can the Black Panther Party teach a new generation of revolutionaries?. [Online]. [5 November 2018].Available from: https://www.liberationnews.org/50-years-later-what-can-the-black-panther-party-teach-a-new-generation-of-revolutionaries/
Comments