A group called the Electoral Justice Project (EJP) set up voter registration tables at theaters during the opening week of "Black Panther" with the mission to increase Black

voter registration.

As the mother of two Black children, Sandra Bullock was deeply affected by "Black Panther." She revealed in an interview at the 2018 Academy Awards that when she

got to meet the cast backstage, she cried telling them how much it meant to her and her seven-year-old son.

In a time where kids were eating laundry detergent for attention, “Black Panther” inspired the internet to take up the #MBakuChallenge, which involved imitating breakout star Winston Duke's

memorable performance. 

As of mid-February when it released in the United States, "Black Panther" snatched the crown as the highest rated superhero film of all time on Rotten Tomatoes. OF ALL

TIME!

Needed proof that a film with a predominantly Black cast could still make bank? "Black Panther" ranked fourth on Fandango's highest pre-sale, just behind three "Star Wars" films.

February is known as the “dumping ground” for bad movies that studios don’t expect to do big numbers, but “Black Panther” changed that, maybe forever. Blockbuster season came way early

in 2018.

The previous record was held by F. Gary Gray for the opening of “The Fate of the Furious” with 98 million, which Ryan Coogler was able to more than double.

At only 31 years old, Ryan Coogler is the youngest director to be hired by Marvel to helm a film. That is a good look for him and an inspiring

one for other up-and-coming talent trying to get into the game.

After a decade of making movies (BP was the 18th), there has only been one Black director hired by Marvel. The next few films are already planned out, but there

is no way we go another 10 years without it happening again.

With all the broken records and firsts, and the continued success of the film, Hollywood can no longer argue that films with a predominantly Black cast won’t appeal to a

larger audience.

"Black Panther" was making waves long before it hit theaters because of what it meant for a lot of people. During a recent interview, Chadwick Boseman teared up

speaking about two terminally ill children who wanted nothing more than to see the film before they died. 

"It’s a humbling experience because you’re like, ‘this can’t mean that much to

them,’ you know. But seeing how the world has taken us on, seeing how the movement is, how it’s taken on a life of its own, I realized that they

anticipated something great."

Authenticity is a major theme in "Black Panther," and the film really puts a spotlight on African cultures. Instead of creating a fake language for the movie, they used Xhosa,

which is spoken by roughly 19 million people.

According to reports, Hasbro's stocks rose after the success of the film made toys and figures fly off of the shelves.

Some fans have been accused of cultural appropriation for buying African clothing to attend screenings, but it has had a positive impact for those small businesses that make and

sell the colorful garments.

The movie has also boosted comic book sales on Amazon and for some independent shops around the country, which is important because without them we would have

never gotten the movie.

The success of the movie prompted Disney to donate $1 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to help establish a STEM center (Science, Technology, Engineering

and Math) in Oakland. 

For now, it'll be the closest real-life thing to what T'Challa put Shuri in charge of at the end of the film.

Not just because it's a fictional country, but "Black Panther" showed audiences a vision of Africa with Wakanda that they have never seen before. Production designer Hannah Beachler, Coogler, and the

rest of the team did extensive research to show the world the beauty of the culture and its people.

Ruth Carter’s costume designs also included various references to real African traditions and styles while still feeling fresh and new. If she doesn’t get nominated for all the

awards next year, we will be very upset.

The women of BP are the real stars. Okoye, Nakia, Ramonda, Shuri, and the Dora Milaje are arguably the strongest women ever featured in the male dominated world of superhero

movies.

A lot of the previous points fall under the umbrella of representation, but it's worth repeating. The legacy of BP will be the impact it is having on younger viewers,

especially young Black kids.

The depiction of Killmonger in "Black Panther" has creators and fans rethinking the one-dimensional villains that we are used to seeing in comic book movies. Moving forward they

are going to need more depth to be believable. 

BP introduced the world to a group of new comers like Letitia Wright who have become role models and icons, and with that comes a certain level of responsibility. In

an interview with Teen Vogue, Wright spoke about depression in the Black community and her personal struggles, which is one issue that many Black kids are never taught

about.

According to Deadline, the production of “Black Panther” boosted Georgia’s economy and generated roughly $83.9 million for the state, including wages for over 3000 local employees.

The film meant many things to many people, and the #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe hashtag gave everyone the opportunity to share and connect and bond with one another, regardless of race, culture, or

gender.

The fandom for BP is so strong that a bunch of people are getting images from the film permanently inked onto their skin.

It may be too early to tell, but I'm willing to bet that names like Shuri, Okoye, and T'Challa will become even more popular in the coming months.

Teachers are already finding ways to incorporate the lessons and politics of Wakanda into their lesson plans.

The movie has also been making waves in white nationalist circles, but not for the reason you might think. According to The Washington Post, some are arguing that

it promotes “ethno-nationalism” and opposes immigration. They must have seen a different cut than the rest of us.

Both the score by Ludwig Göransson and the Kendrick Lamar-curated soundtrack for "Black Panther" landed at top spots on the Billboard charts.

The scene where (spoilers) Killmonger reclaims artifacts from a museum—on behalf of his ancestors from whom they were stolen during the colonial period—has sparked debates over the real world

issue of who owns African art and who should be benefit from its use.

Not everyone understands that the Wakanda in the film is not a real place. According to reports, other locations including Wakanda Park in Menomonie, Wisconsin and Wauconda, Illinois have

seen surges in internet hotel searches and in visitors since the film’s release.

One of the earliest signs that the film was making an impact was the amount of people who adopted the "Wakanda Forever" handshake/salute from the film as a greeting. Several

athletes have also used it as a celebration of black excellence.

There is no inherit connection between the film/character besides the name, but “Black Panther” has resulted in a push from attorneys and activists to finally get incarcerated members of

the Black Panther party out of jail.

According to a statement by the social media app, "Black Panther" is the most tweeted about film of 2018 so far.

Babies aren’t the only ones getting the Wakanda treatment! People are apparently adopting more black cats and naming them T’Challa.

There is a major push from fans online to have Shuri take over as the new Iron Man when Robert Downey Jr.'s character eventually retires from the position.

In the comics, the new Iron Man is a woman and Shuri eventually becomes the Black Panther. Now with the success of the film, either of those options could one

day come true.

The #KillMongerCut is taking over barbershops and hair salons across the country right now.

Interest in (and Google searches of) Afrofuturism began to spike around the release of the film.

Before the release of BP, there was a Facebook group actively trying to ensure that the movie received a lot of bad reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Facebook stepped in and

deleted the group and said that it was in violation of the platform’s community guidelines, a decision that will definitely have a ripple effect in the future.

Crowd funding campaigns were started all over the world to raise money for tens of thousands of children to be able to see "Black Panther" in theaters. By one

estimate, donors gave over $775,000 to the causes.