As “Black Panther” continues to be celebrated for its representation of Blackness in its Afrofuturistic costumes and general African influence, what may not be as apparent is the way Pan Africanism is weaved into the scenes.
In a “Black Panther” director and co-writer Ryan Coogler breaks down the details of the casino scene where Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa, Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia and Danai Gurira’s Okoye attempt to extract Wakanda’s enemy Ulysses Klaue.
While the scene’s epic fight arguably takes the cake, a detail many may not have noticed is the Pan African flag symbolism present on the actors. The flag of the movement espouses Black and African people share a common destiny is made up of red, black and green bars. And Nakia and Okoya are the only ones wearing red and green in the scene, coinciding with T’Challa’s black outfit.
“So when you see T’Challa and Nakia and Okyoe in their covert looks, you see the colors of the Pan African flag.”
