SIUE Scholar Explores Ta-Nehisi Coates's 'Black Panther' Legacy in New Book
Posted July 29, 2026
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Distinguished Research Professor Howard Rambsy II, PhD, is featured on St. Louis Public Radio's "St. Louis on the Air," discussing his new book, "Writing Black Panther: Ta-Nehisi Coates and Representation Struggles," published by Bloomsbury Academic. Rambsy examines how acclaimed journalist and author Ta-Nehisi Coates's 2016 entry into comics with Marvel's "Black Panther" reshaped the character and confronted the industry's long-standing struggles with representation.
In the interview, Rambsy describes Coates's arrival in comics as a significant step forward, noting the excitement of seeing a respected journalist and memoirist take on a medium Rambsy has long followed. He also discusses teaching a college course on comic books and the concept of "representation struggles," tracing the theme back through African American history to figures like Frederick Douglass, who was similarly concerned with how he was visually portrayed.
Listen to the full conversation on St. Louis Public Radio
