The Broadcast Education Association (BEA), a leading academic and professional association for media educators and practitioners in the United States, has named Femi Emmanuel Folorunsho, a research assistant at Ball State University, the recipient of its 2025 Diversity and Inclusion Research Award.
His award-winning paper, Reimagining Futures and Challenging Norms: A Critical Analysis of Afrofuturism, Gender Dynamics, and Aesthetic Representation in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, explores the cultural, aesthetic, and narrative dimensions of the 2022 Marvel film.
Folorunsho’s analysis examined Black Panther: Wakanda Forever through the lenses of Afrofuturism, gender representation, and visual storytelling.
The film, directed by Ryan Coogler, continues the legacy of its 2018 predecessor while navigating the emotional and narrative impact of the late Chadwick Boseman’s passing.
The research highlights how the film imagines a technologically advanced yet culturally grounded African society, with strong emphasis on female leadership through characters like Shuri, Queen Ramonda, and Dora Milaje.
Particularly noteworthy in the study is the focus on costume design by academy award-winner Ruth E. Carter, whose work merges traditional African aesthetics with futuristic fashion.
The Nigerian-born researcher argued that this fusion reinforces the film’s Afrofuturist vision and advances broader conversations on identity and representation in mainstream media.
“Wakanda Forever not only continues a legacy but reshapes it by centring Black women and African cultural imagination,” Folorunsho said.
“It’s important to critically engage with how stories like this challenge norms and broaden our understanding of inclusion in cinema.”
An emerging scholar in media and cultural studies, Folorunsho focuses on African and African diasporic storytelling.
He has presented at international conferences and contributed to peer-reviewed publications on topics related to media diversity and representation.
According to his LinkedIn profile, his academic interests intersect with critical media theory, identity politics, and the evolving dynamics of global Black narratives.
The BEA Diversity & Inclusion Committee grants the annual award to research and creative works that explore issues of equity across race, gender, disability, socioeconomic status, and more.
Folorunsho’s paper was selected from entries submitted through BEA’s interest division research competitions and the Festival of Media Arts faculty creative competition.
