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MOVIES The Road to Wakanda A brief history of modern black superheroes, from Paul Robeson to Black Panther

42 NEWSWEEK.COM FEBRUARY 23, 20 18 TIMBERLAKE BACKLASH 101 A forner king of pop faces the media music » P.46

Even before it hit theaters on February 16, Black Panther Eartha Kitt was on track to be one of the biggest superhero movies ever, thanks Batman to record levels of advance ticket sales. But as the first entry in the Marvel 1967-1968 Cinematic Universe to feature a lead black superhero (he first appeared in Three actresses—two white and one black— 2016’s Captain America: Civil War), the film has a significance that extends portrayed Catwoman, beyond the box office. “You can connect to a character that doesn’t look like Batman’s nemesis/love you, but there’s an added bonus here for people of color,” the film’s director, interest in the campy Ryan Coogler, told The Sydney Morning Herald. “Representation is something 1960s TV series and that can be very powerful.” feature film. All were seductively ferocious, Introduced in Fantastic Four No. 52 in 1966, Black Panther is more than a but only Kitt’s version superhero—he’s also the king and protector of the fictional African nation was transformational. Wakanda. (Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates reimagined the character and his African roots for the current comic book storyline, which began in 2016.) In the film, Sweet Sweetback’s T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), assumes the throne—and the mantle of Black Baadasssss Song 1971 Panther—after his father’s death. But he must fend off a challenge to the Black Panthers co- crown from Wakandan revolutionary Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan). founder Huey Newton Black Panther might be the highest-profile black superhero movie ever, but called it “the first truly the characters (including a badass band of warrior women) didn’t emerge revolutionary black from a vacuum. Modern history is filled with heroes of color, real and imag- film.” Written, directed and starring Melvin ined, who helped clear their path to the screen. —Dante A. Ciampaglia Van Peebles, Sweet Sweetback became the template not only for the Paul Robeson prevented from Oakland, California. blaxploitation genre, but The Emperor Jones marching for their right The Panthers—in for a whole new brand of 1933 to vote by squadrons their urban soldier cocky urban hero. He might be best known of white riot cops uniform of black berets, for singing “Old Man galvanized the civil sunglasses and leather Richard Roundtree River” in the 1936 film rights movement. Martin jackets—energized Shaft Show Boat, but this was Luther King Jr. led black communities here 1971 Robeson’s seminal role, the successful march around the world. The film launched playing a Pullman porter the following day, but blaxploitation into the who becomes the ruler national coverage of Sidney Poitier stratosphere, and star of a Caribbean island. the violent response In the Heat of the Night Roundtree’s effortless The powerful singer and to the first marchers 1967 cool gave private actor—a movie star with transformed a group Four years after detective John Shaft wide appeal when there of ordinary Americans becoming the first undeniable cross-cultural were zero black leading (among them future black man to win the cachet. But it was his men in Hollywood—was U.S. Congressman John best actor Oscar, for righteous defiance of the forefather of Sidney Lewis) into real-life Lilies of the Field, authority—including Poitier and Denzel superheroes. Poitier played take-no- spitting in the faces of Washington. shit Northern police white police officers— The Black Panthers detective Virgil Tibbs. that made the character a Selma-to- 1966 One line, delivered to legend of empowerment. Montgomery Voting A seismic shift in the Rod Steiger’s bigoted Rights Marchers civil rights movement Southern police chief, Cleopatra Jones 1965 occurred when the became a slogan of 1973 The footage of peaceful Black Panther Party dignified defiance: “They Tamara Dobson—the black men and women hit the streets of call me Mister Tibbs!” “soul sister’s answer to

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