Black Panther; More than a Movie it's a Call 4 Action

The box office has once again reflected the cry of Diversity, Inclusion and Change which has been the banner of many disenfranchised people of color for decades. Again our dollars have slashed the facade and misconception that Black, Brown and Yellow are not viable entertainment assets in a global economy, yet Forbes reports a 235 million dollar domestic record breaking weekend while Vanity Fair reports a 404 million dollar global intake for the debut of Marvel's Black Panther. Record breaking numbers like these roar #OurHeroesMatter with this historical triumph!

I find it particularly interesting that the same studios responsible for the strategic demise of non White personas in media through character assassination (rampant depictions of Thugs, Rapist, Murderers, Slaves, Servants, Prostitutes, Drug Dealers, Fools and Buffoons) are full of culprits loading the decks with Jokers in order to detour the green lighting of content which reflect multicultural Heroic images. These Jokers are the race cards that individuals within studios use to thwart projects that would depict heroic progressive images of color by insisting that Black, Brown and Yellow will negatively affect the bottom line. This propaganda has been a Joke for decades. Black, Brown and Yellow have always sold world wide and most of the time under extreme circumstances. Take the Blaxploitation era for instance, many would argue that those films saved Hollywood in the 70's. 80's films like Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon, and 90's Super Hero flix Spawn and Blade all shattered stereotypes and have gone on to be pillars of diversity reflecting Heroic images of color. The nations biggest stars are Athletes and Musicians who happen to be People of Color so how is it that our faces negatively affect corporate bottom line especially when statistics show that Latinos, African and Asians Americans buy the majority of move tickets according to the MPAA report? Michael Jai White, Wesley Snipes, Will Smith, Vin Diesel, The Rock, and now Chadwick Boseman have all delivered fatal blows to the misconception that the world market place doesn't support images of color. 

The beauty of the Black Panther movie being so successful is that it sparks conversations. These conversations initially are about the various dynamics of the film but subsequently the conversations will also lead to the dynamics surrounding the film as well as inquiries about the cast, their prior works and ultimately what can we do as individuals to continue this momentum of change. I ultimately have two questions at this point. The first being, will Studios continue to make excuses for these success stories or will they change? Two, will People of Color stop making excuses and join resources to make their own Heroic success stories now that it is clear that people are hungry to see their reflections finally portrayed as Heroes and not Hoodlums, Slaves, Butlers, Buffoons and everything else subservient?

The Urban Action Showcase and Expo is the premier Action entertainment platform celebrating diversity and the multicultural achievements within the blockbuster Action genre magnifying heroic content reflecting images of color. The UASE provides exposure, informational and educational opportunities as well as distribution for Action based content creators who's content reflects multicultural images and interests. The UASE's UAS International Action Film Festival featuring the Cinemax Action Short Film Competition Call 4 Entries begins March 1st through August 31st, 2018. The UASE takes place this Fall November 9th at HBO and November 10th at AMC Empire 25 Theaters where we will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Blade the first Marvel African American lead and R rated Super Hero movie, the 30th Anniversary of Bloodsport and over 40 years of Action cinema in a 14 hour Action Megathon! Join the UASE Diversity in Action Initiative and help us change the dynamics of mainstream media as we infuse the market place with Heroic images that reflect multicultural image and interests by pre-purchasing your ticket for yourself or a friend today. 
​Here are some links to cast interviews that I found very informative and helped shaped the perspective from which the Black Panther Movie was created. Interviews: 1, 2, 3, 4

Article written by Demetrius Angelo the Founder and Executive Producer of the Urban Action Showcase and Expo
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