Page 13 - YMS Africa Magazine 3rd Quarter 2017 Online-1

LEADERSHIP

Wonder Woman Breaks Barriers "Courage, Genius & Strength

Have No Gender nor Race"

By Zanele Kumalo

Featuring a female protagonist and directed by a woman, Wonder Woman has shattered Hol-
lywood's glass ceiling. This inspiring movie of a female superhero has not only grossed well at
the box office, but has also touched women deeply all over the world as it reveals that women
do possess an innate strength. Claire Rankin shares with us how Wonder Woman, her superhero
from childhood, has portrayed how her body is naturally beautiful and perfect as it is.

This is something I've really been want- Apart from having the most wonderful Wonder Woman and the Amazons were "Feminism isn't about making wom- that black Americans faced and how Award, Art Directors Guild Awards, BET
ing to say: character filled with fire and strength every bit as strong and capable onscreen en strong. Women are already strong. they strived to prove their intelligence awards and several others. The movie
I cried during most of Wonder Woman. and such goodness, she also had these as in the comics, even more so at times. It's about changing the way the world and fight for their rights. Regardless of was directed by Theodore Melfi and writ-
I cried because I was seeing someone utterly glorious thighs that were strong Oh my word! I cried when they rode perceives that strength." These are the the obstacles they faced, Katherine G. ten by Melfi and Allison Schroeder, who
who had come to mean so much to me and pressed against each other, just like across the beach ready to defend their famous words of Ms G.D. Anderson Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), gets selected adapted the screenplay from the non-fic-
throughout my life being portrayed mine! home because such a display of strength that will be echoed as we enter an age in to work in the space task group, tempo- tion book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee
onscreen in such a way that brought So when I heard they were going to shown in such an obvious non-symbolic which we witness women rise in many rarily leaving her everyday post as a "cal- Shetterly.
everything I loved about her to life! It make a Wonder Woman movie I was way is something so rare in mainstream spheres. culator" in the West Computing Group, Overall, the movie is educational and
seems so unimportant that her thigh very conflicted. On one hand I was movies and women. Hidden Figures is an incredible previ- where about 30 other black intelligent empowering. It shows that "courage has
jiggled. So what, big deal. But to me it delighted, this incredible superhero was I cried because Wonder Woman's thigh ously untold true story of Katherine "computer" women are based. One of her no limit, genius has no race and strength
was the biggest deal! getting her own movie and a female jiggled! Because she had the most won- G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and close friends and colleagues, Dorothy has no gender."
I've grown up struggling with body im- superhero was finally being given the derful action scenes and also because Mary Jackson who were brilliant Af- Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), battles her The movie has no rating below 7, 8/10
age issues. I vividly remember sitting in same mainstream attention as her male she had the most wonderful belief in hu- rican-American women who worked way to get a title as supervisor for the worldwide which makes it a ‘must watch’
the movies with my legs up against the counterparts. I did not doubt that the manity. I was happy that her belief was at the National Aeronautics and Space coloured group at IBM system. Her other especially for young, aspiring female
seat in front of me, examining, almost message behind Wonder Woman and paired with such a display of strength Administration (NASA). They served friend, Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), movers and shakers.
scientifically, how my thighs wobbled her awe inspiring character would be because it validates a viewpoint so many as the brains behind one of the greatest gets selected to join the engineering
from side to side when I moved my displayed through such a film. I was on are quick to dismiss as weak. operations in history, the launch of astro- group, where she is the first black female ... African-American women...
legs unlike the thighs of the women I the other hand nervous that her depic- And I'm so damn happy the rest of the naut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning to join white male engineers in the rock- served as the brains behind
saw on the screen in front of me. I also tion onscreen would be one that would world is jumping on the Wonder Wom- achievement that restored the nation's et assembling department. one of the greatest operations
remember the feelings of disgust and be just like the other woman I'd so often an bandwagon, I'm so incredibly happy confidence and turned around the Space Hidden Figures has over 20 award in history, the launch of astronaut,
disappointment with myself that accom- seen onscreen, the one's whose thighs about all of it because never before have Race. nominations and walked away with John Glenn into orbit...
panied such an examination. stayed perfectly still. That she would be I felt so empowered while crying my The movie is set in 1961 and 1962 in the Hollywood Film Award; best screen
Then when I was about 8 years old, I dis- shown to be just sexy, not strong. eyes out! Virginia. It depicts true events that took Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Both these exceptional movies, Wonder
covered a book about Wonder Woman Then I watched the movie and I was place at NASA on orbiting the earth and Performance by a Cast in a Motion Woman and Hidden Figures are available
in my local library and I was hooked! so happy to see that wasn't the case. reveals the segregation and inequality Picture; Excellence in Production Design in DVD stores.

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