Latine fans of Black Panther and late actor Chadwick Boseman will get the opportunity to honor him when the sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 11, 2022.
A call-to-action is now online for Latine, Black, and other POCs to dress in all white when they see the film during opening weekend. This notion is a reference to the scenes in the first full trailer for the film where Wakandans are dressed in all white to mourn the death of their leader, T’Challa/Black Panther (Boseman). In 2020, Boseman died of colon cancer at the age of 43.
The idea for the whiteout was proposed via video by TikTok users Anthony Bryant (@canthonybryant) and “Auntie Wiggz” (@Official_AuntieWiggz). In Bryant’s video, he refers to the film’s opening as the “Wakandan Homecoming” and asks attendees to “adorn ourselves appropriately for these proceedings.”
“We are dressing in honor of those who have come before us – for the ancestors,” Bryant said. “Whether this be African attire, general attire – whether you dress up or dress down, we would [want] that you come on with it.”
Bryant then suggests to those who do not have all-white clothing or are not comfortable wearing it to “pick a singular royal color and adorn yourself head to toe.”
Bryant added: “We are doing this in honor of Chadwick Boseman and the ancestors.”
According to BuzzFeed, Latine communities are also encouraged to wear turquoise or green accents with their white attire. This sentiment would be in honor of the Latine talent who will be featured in the film. This cast includes Tenoch Huerta, Mabel Cadena, and Alex Livinalli.
POCs outside of the Black and Latine communities are encouraged to wear accents that relate to their own culture. All other moviegoers can wear white with khaki, beige, tan, or gray.
“The wearing of white can symbolize various things concerning spiritual practices and general life,” Bryant told BuzzFeed. “Wearing white to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would be a way to honor the memory of Chadwick Boseman and his work within this franchise, and also a way to honor the ancestors who have come before us, who sacrificed and toiled in faith – many without seeing what they hoped for.”