Revisiting Black Panther movie to teach power bases to undergraduates in a HBCU

Abstract

It is often a challenge for an instructor to get the students’ attention for interactive class learning. This paper focuses on the use of Black Panther movie characters to stimulate power bases discussion in class to encourage reflective observation and abstract conceptualization. Power bases are important because they are interlinked with other management concepts such as leadership, negotiation and organizational change. This exercise helped students identify the correct dominating power base of the main characters and cascaded into understanding of the complex interplays among them. The paper discusses the improved engagement and understanding of the ‘power’ concept overall and its applications through the use of this movie-based activity. It further enhanced their creative thinking and encouraged them to find appreciation for ‘power’ concept in routine business life.

Keywords:

• Black Panther
• class exercise
• experiential learning
• movie exercise
• power bases
• student engagement

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for constructive suggestions in improving the discussion section of this paper. The author also wishes to thank Dr. June Claiborne and Mr. Mark Wright at the Texas Southern University for assistance with retrieval of past student exam scores.