November 11, 2022
Photo: Anna Gomez
LOS ANGELES, CA - On November 10th, 2022, the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) invited students from ANAHUACALMECAC (Semillas), one of the first and only Indigenous Mexican schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, to an exclusive screening of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in Burbank, California.
Marvel’s latest film features Namor, a titular character throughout the Marvel Universe that has been reimagined as an Indigenous Latino character based on the ancient Mayan civilization of Talocan. Namor was brought to life with heavy research, cultural respect, and support from cultural consultants to embody Mayan culture.
Through the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Community Screening,” the NHMC hopes to not only bring the Indigenous Latino community together through the film but also show the next generation of Indigenous Latino individuals – and Hollywood as an industry – that they can create commercially successful films that reflect the incredibly diverse Latino communities throughout the country.
“We hope that this will be a wake-up call to Hollywood and the industry that communities of diverse backgrounds coming together on film can benefit everyone,” said Brenda Castillo, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition. “A film like Wakanda Forever can allow communities of color to see themselves on screen, but can also inspire millions around the world to see themselves in characters of color through great storytelling. This is an opportunity to show the next generation that they too can create something rich and culturally relevant, yet also successful and accessible to audiences around the world.”
The “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Community Screening” is just another example of the NHMC’s overall mission to spotlight the importance of accurate, fair, and positive representation in media, including advocating for an increased number of Latinx writers on major networks and streaming services, the increased representation of diverse talent on major television and film sets, and educating media and industry executives on the variances of Latino culture.
Questions? Email the Entertainment & Arts Alumni Network at eaalumni@ad.calstatela.edu.
