Читать книгу Black Panther and Philosophy - Группа авторов - Страница 32

Killmonger insists on what T’Chaka wants to ignore, that the people within Wakanda’s borders exist in relation to the people outside them. And though Killmonger doesn’t make it to the end of the film, this vision of Wakanda in the world does. Recall T’Challa’s words to the United Nations (here’s one time when the post-credits sequence is absolutely essential):

Wakanda will no longer watch from the shadows. We cannot. We must not. We will work to be an example of how we, as brothers and sisters on this Earth, should treat each other. Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth – more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another, as if we were one single tribe.

Yet to think T’Challa only learned the lesson of Wakanda’s place in the world from Killmonger would overlook the fact that Nakia has been defending this vision for Wakanda since the opening scenes. When she first reunites with T’Challa and Okoye in Nigeria, she is happy to see them but angry that they disrupted her mission. After T’Challa’s coronation, she advocates for aiding and giving refuge to people in need: “Wakanda is strong enough to help others and protect ourselves at the same time.” T’Challa begs Nakia to stay in Wakanda by his side, but despite their history and obvious affection for each other, she refuses. They both initially see a romantic relationship as at odds with their individual duties to their respective missions.

By the end of the film their missions have come together and they have too. T’Challa and Nakia (and Shuri) are building international outreach centers in Oakland and beyond, working alongside each other to repair Wakanda’s relationship with the rest of the world. This is not charity any more than it is a self-inflicted punishment or an attempt at global compensation. Rather, it’s the work of relational repair.