NORFOLK, Va. – February is Black History Month, and there’s a groundbreaking movie that is set to be released next week.
Photo: Selden Market
Selden Market will host ‘Welcome to Wakanda: A Celebration of African Culture and Comics’ on Saturday, February 17 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event celebrates African culture in conjunction with the hotly-anticipated forthcoming Marvel movie ‘Black Panther.’
Described as “an out-of-the-box celebration of Black History Month,” ‘Welcome to Wakanda’ will explore the convergence of cosplay (dressing up in costume as famous fictional characters) and traditional cultural elements.
Wakanda is the fictional country of which T’Challa – a.k.a. the titular Black Panther – is the king. Created by comic book writers Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Wakanda made its first appearance in Fantastic Four #52 (1966).
There will be live drumming and performances, mask making workshops, African and soul food pop-ups, artist installations and vendor kiosks.
A list of scheduled events include a coffee hour and panel discussion, a cosplay presentation and fashion show and more. The event will culminate in an afro-beat dance party.
The best part? Attendees will attend an evening showing of ‘Black Panther’ at Regal Cinemas MacArthur Center 18 at 8 p.m. (tickets must be purchased on your own).
The event is presented by Selden Market and Food Clothing + Shelter in partnership with Norfolk State University’s Visual and Performing Arts Department, Slover Library and Traptastic.
Selden Market is located in downtown Norfolk at 208 E. Main Street.
