Panthei

## What Is It?

Panthei is a combination of two words: panther and graffiti. That is what this is. It is a culmination of motifs from the Black Panther comics by Marvel and the Black Panther Party from the civil rights movement. It takes inspiration from symbols of those two panthers.

## What Is A Motif?

Merriam Webster defines a motif as a "dominant idea or central theme." Motifs have often been used in the past to recall those central themes of things related to whatever is in artist or writer is doing. The motifs in this are the essential part of the graffiti, because if they weren't there, it would just be bubble style graffiti. As stated before, this takes motifs from the Black Panther comics and the civil rights activist Black Panther Party. The motifs in this include the black power fist, an afro, claw marks, a gun, a beret, and finally a crown.

## The Black Panther Motifs

The motifs from the Black Panther that are seen here are the claw marks and the crown.

* Claw Marks
	+ This one is rather simple and doesn't need much of an explanation, yet one will be provided. The claw marks are from a panther, the mascot/symbol of the Black Panther. The claw marks are making a mark on the graffiti, tearing it apart. Well, maybe this isn't so simple. When the Black Panther comics first originally came out, it cut through everything else. It took a story from a country that in real life is really poor, and turned it into a country of thriving tribes and advanced technology. It broke through all stereotypes and tore apart expectations.
* The Crown
	+ Even though black panthers are endangered, they still survive in the wild, and are absolutely one of the top predators. They have been known to take down lions and tigers as if they were just prey. The Black Panther on screen and in comics has always been an absolute beast of a hero. The Black Panther charges in, regardless of the opponent, and shows that just because he's one man, it doesn't mean he can't take on a whole army.

## The Black Panther Party Motifs

The black power fist, an afro, guns, a beret, and a tail are the motifs from the Black Panther Party.

* Black Power Fist
	+ Probably one of the most commonly used and widely known symbols of black power is the black power fist. Even though a clenched fist has been used by revolutionaries in the past, it didn't truly become a symbol for blacks until the 1968 Olympics when track medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised the clenched fist during the national anthem. Smith and Carlos were kicked out and returned home. This would inspire the Black Panther Party to use it as a major representation of black power.
* The Afro
	+ While it may seem like a minor thing, the afro was actually a rather major aspect of the Black Panther Party. The big poofs of hair sprang from the concept of "black is beautiful," another movement started by the Black Panther Party. Prior to this movement, many black girls would straighten their hair in order to match the white girls. However, they let go of this belief with this newfound claim. The women, and even men, let their hair loose, showing their beauty in its purest form.
* The Beret
	+ The beret was an essential part of the Black Panther Party uniform. Without it, the nice, tight, military style look wouldn't come together. Any picture taken of a member of the Black Panther Party, a beret will be seen hanging off the side of the member's head.
* The Gun
	+ Guns were often associated with the Black Panther Party. Much like the berets, many pictures of the Black Panther Party will include a gun somewhere in the picture, whether it be in the hands of a member, or in the background. They brandished their guns so openly, the NRA even created a new act in order to shut down the Black Panther Party. The Black Panther Party stood very strong to their methods. One of these methods was taking a defensive approach of themselves. Much like their namesake, they would never attack first, but rather use counterattack methods when provoked.