White people shouldn't see new 'Black Panther' movie on opening weekend, influencer says
WASHINGTON (TND) — A social media influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers apparently has a message for white people: don't go see "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" on opening weekend.
Instead, white people should purchase tickets to the Marvel superhero's new movie and give them to Black families, according to blogger Thee Lavynder Lee, otherwise known as "The Violet Vixen."
In a video apparently shared on her TikTok page, Lavynder Lee tells white people they can eventually see the movie on another weekend, "but the first weekend? that's for us [Black people]."
This message is to all our wimpy accomplices and [hand signals air quotes] 'white allies.' This message is to all the white people who have BLM in their bio," Lavynder Lee says in the Tiktok selfie video that has her Instagram handle and the words "Listen and Learn" at the top. "If you really want to prove to Black people that you love us and you care about us and you are down for the cause? Do not go see that movie [Black Panther: Wakanda Forever] opening weekend."
You [white people] buy your ticket, you give it to a Black person or a Black family who can't afford to go," Lavynder Lee insists in the video. "And then you go sit in that theater, in front of the doors. you make sure that every Black person in that theater can enjoy that movie in peace. You make sure that you use your body to block us from anybody who'd be coming in that theater to do us harm. That is your job. You can go see it on another weekend. Go see it on the second or third weekend. But the first weekend? that's for us [Black people].
It's evident that the movie Lavynder Lee is speaking about is "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," as a short clip of the film's trailer plays in her video before she speaks. However, the video has apparently been removed from Lavynder Lee's social media accounts. It's unclear if she deleted the video herself or if TikTok removed it for some reason. However, others have re-uploaded the clip to Twitter.
Lavender Lee is a social media influencer from Houston, according to her website. She has over 344,000 followers on Instagram and over 7,000 followers on TikTok.
She claims to be a "social/education reform activist" and "sex-positive feminist." She also says on her website that she is "Queer/Bi," a "Millennial," "Polyamorous (Google it!)" and a mother of two.
On the homepage of her website, above an image of her holding her smiling daughter, is a quote from Lavynder Lee that says "Eat the cake. Have great sex. Give no f***s."
Lavynder Lee also has a space on her linktr.ee page where people can "Donate tickets/funds for Wakanda Forever."
The National Desk has attempted to reach out to Lavynder Lee regarding her video through both her various social media pages and through her website, but did not hear back before publication. If a comment is received, it will be added to this article.
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" releases in theaters on November 11, 2022.
