From the moment I saw the movie posters of the Black Panther cast over the summer, I knew it would be a great movie. I had no doubt in my mind that I would be at the movie theater front and center the day it was released to the world. However, I didn’t know how much of an impact it would have on my spirit the moment I sat in my seat and witnessed all of the Black greatness unfolding on the screen.
For at least three months leading up to the release of the Black Panther movie, all we could talk about was what we would wear to the movie that weekend. A good friend of mine was the one that told me that people were going to dress up for the event. I actually had no clue that it was really a thing until she brought it up. So from that moment on, we all discussed how we wanted to look that day. We wanted to represent for the culture in the most beautiful way possible.
By the end of January, we all pretty much had an idea of what we wanted to wear. I began scouring the internet for places to purchase the items that I needed to pull off my look. I ordered everything from Etsy and was completely happy with my choices.
Since I spend most of my days in the house due to my illness, this movie gave me something to look forward to. I would have a chance to actually get out of the house and interact with my family and friends. It also swelled my heart up with pride to see the excitement surrounding the release of this film. Apparently, I was not alone in that feeling. The excitement permeated the air. Everybody around the world was waiting with baited breath to see Black Excellence fill the screen. Especially, after the cast showed up and out for the grand movie premier in Hollywood. The Black Magnificence we saw the day of the Hollywood premier inspired all us to step up our game opening weekend.
The day of the movie opening, we were giddy with excitement. Since our tickets were for 11:30 am, we were ready by ten o’clock for our Black Panther movie day. As each one of us climbed into the car, we were in shock and in awe. We had taken the phrase Black Is Beautiful to a whole new level. Each one of us looked like our own version of Nubian Queens. Not to mention the car smelled like cocoa butter, nuts, and berries. We were glossing and flossing with the best. The glow up was for real that day.
When we walked into the theater, people immediately took notice. How could they not? We were some of the rare few who had dressed for the occasion so early in the morning. We received a lot of compliments from people in the theater. We felt like superstars.
After the movie, we headed for a late lunch/early dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. On the drive to the restaurant, we discussed the different themes in the movie. It was a conversation that went from the car to the restaurant. The movie gave us so much to discuss about Black culture, slavery, Africa, and our history in general.
Throughout the day, we saw so many beautiful people of color dressed in their finest. We were all so proud of the movie and of our culture. The Chocolate City and the entire DMV was buzzing with excitement and activities pertaining to the movie. There were parties, panels, and pop-up bars all about the Black Panther. It was a lovely site to see all of us come together to support this movie. It definitely meant a lot to all of us around the world.
By the end of the first week, I had received a lot of texts and pictures from friends and family near and far. It was awesome to see them representing for the culture in their part of the world. Who knew a movie could bring us together and make such impact on our lives and culture?
Check out the pictures below from our Black Panther movie weekend.
