News & Blog

Like the rest of the MCU (Marvel Comics Universe), the setting of the Black Panther movie is a fictitious city, namely Wakanda. And although Wakanda isn’t real, the film’s artists did base many of the sets and costumes on real African countries.

Image copyright by Walt Disney Studios, 2018.

Ruth E. Carter, Black Panther’s costume designer, drew inspiration from the Dogon, the Turkana, the Hemba, the Suri tribe, and the Tuareg people.  Carter based jewelry and costume designs on the hand made neck rings worn by Ndebele women and African kente cloth. She was also inspired by Zulu hats and Nigerian chiefs when designing the look of the Queen’s and shaman’s costumes.

If you’re gearing up to watch the film or have already seen it and want to learn more about the cultures which inspired the film, check out some of these books.

Dogon: Africa’s People of the Cliffs

Spirits Embodied: Art of the Congo

Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa

Art of Being Tuareg

Ndebele: The Art of an African Tribe

Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente and African American Identity

Speaking with Beads: Zulu Arts from Southern Africa

The Birth of Art in Africa: Nok Statuary in Nigeria

References:

African Superhero: How we made Black Panther, Chris Giles, CNN, 2/16/2018.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/16/africa/black-panther-behind-the-scenes-marvel/index.html

Black Panther Costume Designer Talks Creating a Wardrobe for a King, Kaitlyn Booth, Bleeding Cool, 1/29/2018.

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/01/29/black-panther-costume-designer/

Image copyright by Walt Disney Studios, 2018.

Join us for a lunch break Open Heart Open Mic on Thursday, February 15 from 12-1:15PM in John C. Hitt Library room 223. The UCF Libraries is partnering with the Women’s & Gender Studies Program to present an ongoing open mic event series.

You are welcome to bring a story, poem, song, or any other vocal presentation to share – on any topic.

For more information, check our event page.

Any original work presented at an Open Heart Open Mic event will be eligible to be listed in STARS KnightVerse. STARS is UCF’s digital repository designed to disseminate, publicize, and share works by, for, and about UCF. KnightVerse is the area within STARS for library related student work. After presenting, see the Open Heart Open Mic host for information about submitting your original work.

The national celebration of African American History was started by Carter G. Woodson, a Harvard-trained historian and the founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, and first celebrated as a weeklong event in February of 1926. After a half century of overwhelming popularity, the event was expanded to a full month in 1976 by President Gerald Ford.

Here at the library we are passionate about celebrating African American culture and history. We are proud to present our top 20 favorite books by, and/or about, African Americans.

Click the link below for full descriptions and catalog links for the 2018 Black History Month Featured Bookshelf.

Featured Bookshelf: Black History Month

During February, an exhibit of material about the Buffalo Soldiers will be displayed in the John C. Hitt Library on the main floor. The Buffalo Soldier Historical Society is installing the exhibit to celebrate African American History month. The Society’s mission is to preserve, promote, and perpetuate the history of African-American military units from 1775 to 1951.

All are welcome to a presentation on Friday, February 2 at 2.00 p.m. in the John C. Hitt Library Room 223 for an exciting presentation on an important part of our history.

ProQuest History Vault: Civil Rights and the Black Freedom Struggle