Danai Gurira brings the power of Pan-Africanism to the NAACP Awards [Video]

The 50th NAACP Image Awards took place on Saturday in Los Angeles in what was a very memorable evening. One of the notable highlights was when the Black Panther cast stepped up the podium to accept the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture.

Rocking the traditional Amasunzu hairstyle which was worn by Rwandan men and unmarried women until only about 100 years ago, Zimbabwean-American actress Danai Gurira delivered a very emotional speech explaining how the feeling of winning such an award was similar to the power of Pan-Africanism.

“The power of this moment to us really feels like the power of Pan-Africanism,” she said.

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Before her speech, Director Ryan Coogler paid tribute to the amazing women in the box office breaking movie saying: “I’m going to do what a lot of us should do, and I’m going to step back and let the brilliant women talk.”

Danai, who also won Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role as Okoye delivered her speech afterwards.

″The beauty of this project is that we as a diaspora made this film successful ― and we’re just getting started as a diaspora, we’re just getting started,” she added, according to HuffPost.

Watch a snippet of it below:

Ok Danai Gurira speaking about pan-Africanism and giving a S/O to Zimbabwe ?? #ImageAward50 pic.twitter.com/Aw2RKJdMdX

— Makho Ndlovu (@makhondlovu) March 31, 2019

She also took to her Instagram page to share lessons she learnt from the success of the movie.

“The power of Pan Africanism. That is what the success of this film has taught me. I have witnessed this film’s impact in so many parts of the diaspora. It has made clear that when we see each other, as one, we become so powerful,” she wrote.

“Black Panther’s unprecedented, groundbreaking success manifests that. The way it has been embraced, by America, Africa and the entire African diaspora. That unity. That’s the power of Pan Africanism. We must never lose sight of what astounding results our unity as a diaspora can yield. And we are just getting started as a diaspora, we are just getting started.”

Black Panther deservedly took home several awards from the 14 categories they were nominated in during the star-studded event.