SPEECH BY: Ruth Carter
FILM: "Black Panther"
RUTH CARTER:
Wow, wow, I got it. Wow, this has been a long time coming. Spike Lee, thank you for my start. I hope this makes you proud. Marvel may have created the first black superhero but through costume design, we turned him into an African king. It’s been my life’s honor to create costumes. Thank you to the Academy. Thank you for honoring African royalty and the empowered way women can look and lead onscreen.
Thank you to my crews around the world who helped bring Wakanda to life. Our genius director, Ryan Coogler, you are a guiding force. Thank you for your trust and understanding my role in telling the African-American story. Adding vibranium to costumes is very expensive so thank you Victoria Alonso, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Jeffrey Chernov, Bob Iger and Nate Moore. My career is built with passion to tell stories that allow us to know ourselves better. This is for my 97-year-old mother watching in Massachusetts. Mom, thank you for teaching me about people and their stories. You are the original superhero. Thank you.
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