NaturallyMoi.com
By Susan Johnes
Posted March 22nd 2018
Black Panther breakout star Letitia Wright recently had an interview with Teen Vogue to talk about her struggles with depression, her advocacy for transparency around the mental health conversation, the importance of Shuri as a character as it relates to STEM, and the #TimesUp initiative.
When she was a kid, Letitia Wright once watched a movie about a young black girl, and it profoundly changed her life. She saw Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee as a teen and started embracing the possibility of a career as an actress.
Ten years later, she views her character Shuri — the tech-genius princess in Marvel’s Black Panther — as a full-circle moment.
“I hope that Shuri opens up a new way of thinking for young girls regarding careers and subjects in the academic world,” she said… “I can only hope that Shuri can encourage a lot of girls to be a part of subjects in school like science and math and technology.”
Black Panther had significant A-list cast includes Lupita Nyong’o, Chadwick Boseman, and Michael B. Jordan, but it was Letitia who stole every scene and was heralded as the breakout star.
In addition to being a massive success at the box office, people treated Black Panther as a cultural event. It made fans dress up in African garb and dance in theaters to celebrate the film.
“We all knew the potential Black Panther had in inspiring people,” said Letitia. “We went in with the attitude of just telling the truth of the story, taking inspiration from different parts of African countries, whether it’s the Zulu tribe or the Ashanti tribe, anywhere we could find true depictions of queens and kings in Africa itself…”
After Black Panther hit our films in mid-Feb, movements demanding representation and gender equality came up to catalyze change in the film industry, with conversations like #OscarsSoWhite and #TimesUp making a profound impact.
“I’m proud of the Time’s Up movement, and I hope it continues to grow strong and that it can be established,” Letitia said.
“I hope we still have a movement that’s strong enough to defend people that may need it 100 years down the line. And it shouldn’t just be for girls in Hollywood but for everyone dealing with something that requires some help.”
During the Black Panther press tour, Letitia also opened up about her struggles with depression, and her hope to combat the stigma often associated with mental health.
“In the black community, depression is something that happens, but we don’t speak about it. That’s why we have to continue to talk about it and bring it straight to the forefront. That not only applies to the black community but different races as well.”
Letitia is among the many young people who have battled with depression which affects nearly 3 million teens worldwide according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
That’s why Letitia speaks boldly about depression because she struggled with it and tried to find different ways to hear.
Letitia recalled taking a break from acting four years ago to prioritize her mental health.
“It was like this repetitive cycle that you couldn’t break out of,” she shares. “I did personally deal with it, and I just had to surrender to God, and I found that it worked for me.”