Part of the online discourse about Black Panther has been about how it should be considered a part of black history, and now that talk has been proven official thanks to the Smithsonian National Museum of Black History and Culture, who has now acquired the coveted vibranium suit used in the movie.
The suit and several other artifacts from the movie have been added to the museum’s collection including the costume, 24 high-resolution production stills, and a shooting script from Black Panther director Ryan Coogler.
The museum’s statement touches on the fact that Black Panther is the first superhero of African descent featured in mainstream American comic books, and the film is the first major motion picture production of the character.
“Black Panther illustrates the progression of Blacks in film, an industry that, in the past, has overlooked blacks, or regulated them to flat one-dimensional and marginalized figures,” read the museum’s statement. “The film, like the museum, provides a fuller story of black culture and identity.”
There’s no official date as to when the artifacts will go on display, but with the items now a cemented part of black history, there’s no way folks will ever stop saying “Wakanda Forever” (or ever get Chadwick Boseman to stop doing the Wakandan salute).