Finally! I got to watch the most talked about black superhero movie released in 2018. The Black Panther. Well, not as early as it came out because the hype was over the top. And I understood why but I had to wait until all that died down.
Plus, I didn’t want my judgement warped or have anybody disturb when I watch it. I watched and re-watched the movie to really get it and the hype about it. Like every other movie and story, it also had some morals. So, I thought to share some lessons I caught from ‘D Blek Pentha.‘ Arms crossed you may relate if you’ve watched it too. Let the lessons begin!
1. Not Everyone Will Like Your (Leadership) Style
Yep. No matter how hard you think you’re striving for the good of people around you someone still thinks you are inadequate. That is what made Prince Njobu start planning how to liberate blacks starting from the hood before James his partner (who later became the priest) told on him. And King T’Chaka killed him because he wanted killing James (Forest Whitaker).
2. Most Sellouts are Insiders. Good or Bad
James (Zuri) was spying in a positive way on Prince Njobu, while Prince Njobu was spying for Wakanda and sold out to Ulysses Klaw by telling him how to hit Wakanda for vibranium.
3. Good Ideas are Meant to be Shared; Not Hidden
Wakanda was a wonder the world didn’t know about. And they had vibranium that did wonders in medicine, technology, defense, and transportation. But they didn’t readily share. They just hid in plain sight.
4. You May Never be Prepared Enough Responsibility
But take it. When king T’Chaka died, T’Challa thought he wasn’t capable of leading. Because in the first place, his father died under his watch. But he won Mbaku in ritual combat challenge and became king. He didn’t believe at first that he would be able to make a great king.
5. Know Your History Well
In the artifact showroom Killmonger was being shown around by a woman. She was actually poisoned but didn’t mind as much like she minded telling Killmonger about the history of the artifacts. Nobody will know your history more than you do if you learn it. And that was how Killmonger knew which artifact was made of vibranium.
6. Admit and Correct Mistakes if You Can
Because they can come back in ways you never expect. If king T’Chaka had brought the boy (Killmonger) back home after killing his father (Prince Njobu) who was his brother, Killmonger’s revenge may not have come into the picture.
7. People Will Challenge Your Position
When people don’t like your style they will challenge you. Make sure you deserve and fight for it. Even if it is your (birth-)right. Mbaku of the Jabari tribe challenged T’Challa because he knew it was challenge day. He felt T’Challa wasn’t fit to be king. But Mbaku lost.
8. Be Fair and it Will Come Back to You
T’Challa made Mbaku yield in the challenge when he saw that he had Mbaku. He could have killed him if he didn’t yield. Mbaku paid that debt when T’Challa was recovered from the river by one of his own men. Kill your pride and live to fight another day.
9. There is Always Room for Improvement
“Just because something works doesn’t mean it cannot be improved” T’Challa’s younger sister Shuri, who was head of technology in Wakanda was always improving and upgrading on her functional but ‘old’ gadgets.
10. Nothing Will Prepare You Enough for Responsibility
Just wear the shoe. When T’Challa won the challenge, drank the purple herb, and went to ‘Wakanda heaven’ or ancestral plane to see his Baba, Baba told him, “You are going to struggle, so you will need to surround yourself with people you trust,” “You are a good man with a good heart. It is hard for a good man to be king.”
11. Don’t Be Traditional Without Questions Asked
“Tradition, at times, is being afraid to lose your way of life.” That is what T’Challa’s ex chick Nakia, that he always freezes in front of told him. They were not helping others who needed help enough.
12. Don’t Make Promises You Are Not Readily Able to Fulfill
Else when someone else does, you will look incompetent. T’Challa promised the council to bring Ulysses Klaw back dead or alive. But when he failed and Killmonger did. The border tribe where Killmonger originally belonged to, especially W’Kabi, backed him up instead of T’Challa.
13. Learn to Make Deals
Everyone can go home happy (if it lies with you). There are diplomatic ways to do it. T’Challa was on the throne. Killmonger wanted the throne by all means. They could have come to terms somehow. Except it was absolutely necessary to do otherwise. Moreover, it wasn’t challenge day.
14. Have Some Fun in All the Seriousness
Ullyses always had fun even when he went to do evil. He wasn’t always looking as serious. “I made it rain” was what he said when he used his vibranium arm gun on T’Challa with CIA agent Ross in the club during the trade. Money ‘rained’ when he shot the box T’Challa used to protect himself. He was practically dragged away from there. He and Mbaku are my favourite characters in the movie. They had a weird sense of humour.
15. One Act that Pleases People Can Make People Trust You
Killmonger killing Ulysses Klaw made some of T’Challa’s subjects decamp to back killmonger up. T’Challa almost lookd incompetent.
16. Don’t Let the Mistakes of Others Define Who You Are
T’Challa found out what king T’Chaka did when he was king and refused to accept it as it is. He righted a mistake made by his father. Killmonger, on the other hand, not only continued with his father’s legacy of wanting to take over the world. But also wanted revenge for his father’s death by all means.
17. Right Reasons Can be Backed by Wrong Motives
“Vibranium for liberation” was Prince Njobu’s way before his son made it to Wakanda to challenge T’Challa. Wakabi is like that too. And that was why he supported Killmonger.
18. Not Every Challenge is Meant to Be Taken
“I accept your challenge” is always T’Challa’s response to a perceived challenges. He doesn’t even let the challenger finish. Just wants to get it over and done with. It is not every challenge you accept. Especially when you are defending it. Killmonger used this against him in lesson 21. And don’t underrate your challenger. He may have more up his sleeves.
Read also Decision-Making
19. Make Decisions You Will Rest in Peace With
The reason why T’Challa didn’t die was because he would not rest in peace in the ancestral plane if he had died with Killmonger on the throne. He had an obligation to his people and his mother and younger sister. He wouldn’t die a happy king if he didn’t do what was necessary.
20. Be and Do Good
“I owe you a debt. A life for a life. Consider it paid.” People don’t forget favours you do them. Even those that ‘seem’ not to like you. And they are keeping scores. They will pay back. Do good. You never can tell who can save you.
21. You Won’t Get Fair Chances Like You Gave
“All that challenge sh*t is over with. I am the king now.” This was Killmonger’s reply to T’Challa after he was revived and came back to confront Killmonger as they prepared for battle. When T’Challa was king and Killmonger was brought before the council T’Challa could have told them, “Challenge day is long over.” You won’t get fair chances like you gave.
22. Ask for Help
“Witness the might of the Jabari first hand…” It may not come when you expect it but ask. After Mbaku considered his debt to T’Challa paid T’Challa asked him for an army to fight Killmonger and take back the throne. But Mbaku refused. He still surprised them by showing up when the battle was fierce. Abia!
23. You Will be Underrated
“With all due respect king T’Challa, what can a nation of farmers offer the rest of the world?” This was a question posed by a UN person when T’Challa had finished giving a speech about Wakanda willing to share their knowledge with the world. The truth is, nobody will know what you have until you tell and show it. Stop hiding and show what you got!
In reality, Africa truly has great potentials that it hasn’t exhibited yet and so the world waits to see while doubting. You will see…
I’m sure there’s an Mbaku somewhere reading this and yawning mockingly while asking, “Are you done? Are you, are you done?”
My answer “Hu! Hu!! Hu!!! One more word and I will feed you to my children. Just kidding. They’re vegetarians. Yes, I am done. Mefa!”
Wakanda Forever!!!
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