A detractor would basically say that Panther is African royalty and wouldn't necessarily gravitate to African Americans. To be honest I would agree based on past characterizations of T'Challa.
I understand what you saying here. I see how the detractors can make those claims. But this is a point that has always bothered me when folks say this. Yes, blacks from the continental African Continent have different cultures from African Americans and some come here and attempt to distance themselves from us. Alot of
African Americans try to distance themselves from Africa and denounce any ties to it after the slave ships hit these shores. But I know quite a few folks from the continent (Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, South Africa) of which a few are friends and quite a few of them experienced some of the same negative BS that can happen to a person who is black
regardless of the country of their birth. Some of these same people have gravitated to African Americans in those times. In fact, that is how I made a few of my friends.
T'Challa was at one time a teacher in Harlem, correct? Wouldn't that time allow him to connect on some level with African Americans? Yes, he is royalty, but being in that situation would make that factor irrelevant wouldn't it?
In alot of the old school especially Roy Thomas depictions, he came off as being no different than say, Thor, in terms of personality. The whole changing his name to Black Leopard for a time so he wouldn't be confused with the Black PAnther PArty. Also in some cases I can see continental Africans who would want to distance themselves from African Americans. European imperialism is a bitch. however T'Challa never having suffered the miseducation of Euopean colonialism would not necessarily fall into that category. Either way I have to give Claremont props for the Storm/BP backstory as well as having a number of Black people in his book. For the time there despite their roles and characteristics he often had alot of Black characteristics in the bakcground or in supporting roles (let alone the major role of Storm). The dance teacher of Kitty Pryde was a significant reoccurring character as well as Misty Knight who was Jean Grey's roommate and police officer. Luke Cage made a cameo in X-men when Storm went to Harlem to look at her parents old home, even if it was a bit contrived (back then what wasn't contrived?).
Yeah, I agree with you here. So with just a few events in old Marvel stories we can see that a number of black heroes coming together isn't necessarily something that would be forced. At least not anymore so than any other group that isn't black.
