Black Panther: A Cultural Exploration Book Talk

Take an engrossing deep dive into the cultural influences of Black Panther, from the development of the Marvel Comics character in the 1960s to his current worldwide renown.

Black Panther was created in 1966 by the legendary Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the midst of the civil rights movement and just before the birth of the Black Panther Party. Subsequent creators have drawn from global history and the ever-evolving Black experience to breathe new life into the character, weaving in stories of both oppression and triumph. The Black Panther mythos has had an enormous impact on both comic creators and the people who have helped shape Afrofuturism.

Black Panther: A Cultural Exploration delves into the compelling backstory, including:

A full history of Black Panther, from the character’s comics debut to current comics and film appearances

Iconic artwork and quotes from decades of Marvel comics

A breakdown of real-world influences that helped inform the society and culture of Wakanda

Connecting the world of Black Panther with cultural and historical touchpoints and the community of readers whose lives were shaped by the character and his comics, Black Panther: A Cultural Exploration explores the worlds, myths, music, and histories that contributed to the comic’s evolution. Wakanda forever!

ABOUT YTASHA L. WOMACK:

Ytasha L. Womack is an author, filmmaker, dancer and futurist. Her book Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci Fi and Fantasy explores black sci fi culture, bleeks, black comix, and the legacy of futurism. The book is a 2014 Locus Award Finalist in the nonfiction category.

Her book Rayla 2212 is a sci fi/ Afrofuturist novel that follows Rayla Illmatic's travels through space and time. The book inspired the Race in Space Conference at Duke University October 2013 and debuted at the 2014 Chicago Comic Con.

Ytasha is also author of the critically acclaimed book Post Black: How a New Generation is Redefining African American Identity and 2212: Book of Rayla. She is also the coeditor of the hip hop anthology Beats, Rhyme & Life: What We Love and Hate About Hip Hop.

Her films include Love Shorts (writer/producer) and The Engagement (director).

Ytasha is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University and studied media management at Columbia College in Chicago. She resides in the Windy City.