"The essays, a well-balanced combination of contemporary thought and historical analysis, will leave readers eager for another viewing." <br /><br />—<b>Publishers Weekly</b> <br /><br />"It is refreshing to see inclusion of Afrikana worldview, Fanonian theory, decolonization, and African spiritual identity in the analyses of the popular media phenomenon that is <i>Black Panther</i>. This work further exposes readers to tenets of Black psychology that are unrepresented in Western psychology." <br /><br /><b>—Michele K. Lewis, psychology professor, member of the Association of Black Psychologists, and author of <i>Our Biosocial Brains: Cultural Neuroscience of Bias, Power, and Injustice </i></b> <br /><br />"<i>Why Wakanda Matters</i> is a tour de force centered on identity, perception, and racial trauma. The essayists give readers a new way of looking at the classic film <i>Black Panther</i>, as well as capitalism, US history, and nationalism. <i>Why Wakanda Matters </i>isn't one of those books that you read once and toss to the side. It is an inspirational book that one should carefully read at least once a year. This opus will live for generations to come." <br /><br /><b>—Darryl Robertson, former staff writer for <i>VIBE </i>magazine, whose work has also appeared in <i>Ebony</i>, <i>XXL</i>, <i>Billboard</i>, <i>Salon</i>, <i>Black Perspectives</i>, and <i>Washington Post</i></b> <br /><br />"<i>Why Wakanda Matters </i>situates the meaningful, mythical, and the phantasmagorical aspects of Wakanda within the promise of a more just and representational reality. Taken together, the chapters tell us why #WakandaForever is more than a hashtag; it's a movement for and among fans, activists, scholars, and dreamers." <br /><br /><b>—Deborah Elizabeth Whaley, professor of American Studies and African American Studies at the University of Iowa and author of <i>Black Women in Sequence: Reinking Comics, Graphic Novels, and Anime</i></b> <br /><br />"Sheena Howard continues to make extraordinary contributions to comic scholarship. <i>Why Wakanda Matters </i>is another exceptional volume in her impressive catalog." <br /><br /><b>—Joel Christian Gill, cartoonist and historian </b> <br /><br />"Each essay breathes life into the layered discourse around the utility of the Black radical imagination and the inherent and necessary joy regarding Blackness and speculation. <i>Why Wakanda Matters</i> is a great guide to the newest addition to Blackness in conversation with radicalized spatial narratives." <br /><br /><b>—John Jennings, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling illustrator of the Eisner Award–winning graphic novel adaptation of <i>Kindred </i>by Octavia E. Butler </b>