Black Panther has not only not smashed box office records – including that for the highest-grossing film by a black director – but the Marvel film has now also inspired its own convention, Wakandacon (what else?).
The inaugural three-day fan event took place in Chicago at the weekend to celebrate Afrofuturism, black representation and excellence in film, STEM, tech, fine art and media. And, according to its website, Wakandacon is “an inclusive place where you can be a nerd about anything – pop culture, gaming, tech, womanhood, politics, or your own beautiful Blackness.”
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And yes, that involved plenty of cosplay…
Cosplay highlights from #WakandaCon pic.twitter.com/ML5Or8cbK4
— ReBecca Theodore-Vachon ✈️ WakandaCon (@FilmFatale_NYC) August 5, 2018
Dayna-Simone Savage and Laticia Nichols are attending #WakandaCon because of the positive images of women they saw in the movie. pic.twitter.com/E3kDh4fR0D
— Evan F Moore (@evanFmoore) August 4, 2018
MOAR COSPLAY! #wakandacon #bnpvisits pic.twitter.com/GXLWBLTdOo
— Black Nerd Problems (@BlkNrdProblems) August 4, 2018
However, Wakandacon wasn’t your average fancon. In addition to the panels, booths, costumes and a workshop from Black Panther stuntman Mark Willis, the event showcased numerous outreach programmes. This included The Shuri Project, which teaches black girls ages 8-12 how to create their own websites and develop public speaking skills.
And hopefully this won’t be a one-off, with convention co-founder Ali Barthwell telling the Chicago Sun-Times they’re aiming to throw a second Wakandacon next year and “continue to create spaces for black creatives.”
Could it really be Wakanda forever?
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