The Dora Milaje: Redefining Black Femininity The Black Panther could not have been released at a more correct time. At a time when the world is engulfed in social issues affecting women; sexual harassment and gender pay gap, the film serves a much-needed depiction of women; their strength and abilities in the society. The Dora Milaje which means “the adored ones” is a group of elite women soldiers and protectors of the king of Wakanda, the Black Panther. They portray the strength of women; a rarity that Hollywood serves or the world seldom acknowledges. Even more interesting and noteworthy is how Black Panther and the Dora Milaje depict a never-before-seen side of the Black woman. Hitherto, the African-American has been hypersexualized and …show more content…
The film does not shy away from exploring the beauty of the black woman, in her unfiltered element. In the world today, women of color have always played second fiddle to the white woman when it comes to beauty. The white woman is used as the benchmark for beauty; blond straightened hair, and a petite body size. The Dora Milaje and other women of Wakanda, however, embrace their kinky hair and the not-so-petite bodies. With more and women undergoing skin lightening procedures to identify with societal norms and expectations, the Dora Milaje are proudly dark skinned and do not shy away from it. They do not hide their skin complexion in layers of make-up but only accentuate it with beautiful African tribal markings. In one fighting scene, Okoye, a general in the Dora Milaje, is seen fighting two white men while wearing wig. Okoye goes ahead to remove the wig, exposing her bald head and smashing the wig in the face of one white man. This scene can be construed to show how black women are tired of their hypersexualization and the beauty norms expected of them, throwing these expectations at the face of society and them (black women) being comfortable with who they are; beauty, brains and