The next Black Panther is a Real-life Cowboy and Super hero.
Photo Credit: Rue Romani. Digital Artwork by David A. Paul, MD. Copyright Bold & Gritty, LLC 2022. All rights reserved.
If anyone is destined to inspire the type of pride that uplifted our community following Marvel’s Black Panther release . . . Brandon tops the list with his innate ability to positively influence others.
“Every block, every hood, every city, every ghetto needs a black superhero.”
What if the next Black Panther is a real-life superhero? When you meet Brandon Alexander, you might just think that the late Chadwick Boseman himself was standing in front of you—a common mistake that has now put Brandon in the spotlight. As a cowboy, actor, and dancer, he naturally fits the archetype role that every kid looks up to both on and off the big screen. And for someone whose features resemble the Black Panther, Brandon inherited some large shoes to fill. However, if anyone is destined to inspire the type of pride that uplifted our community following Marvel’s Black Panther release . . . Brandon tops the list with his innate ability to positively influence others.
Illustration of Brandon Alexander as Black Panther. Artwork by Andrew Smith
Brandon was raised in Texas and later moved to Los Angeles, California during his adult years. “People think I’m a cowboy and drive a truck because I grew up in Texas — but my family stayed away from cowboy culture because it was still considered a ‘White’ thing,” says Brandon. In all respects, he grew up “country,” but he wasn’t hanging out on anyone’s farm, riding four-wheelers, or shooting guns. He remembers going fishing only a handful of times. Regarding getting on the back of a horse—that wasn’t originally a part of his daily life. And when it came to country music, Brandon recalls hearing it played throughout the halls of his childhood school.
“Internally though, there was this draw to get on a horse and ride off into the sunset,” says Brandon. He always had these vivid dreams of things he could do outside with his friends. He recalls “visualizing these amazing days… outdoors in the wild, and not really caring what anybody thought about it. Doing it because it felt good, felt free, felt wild.” However, hindered by thoughts of how he might be perceived by his family and others it became a dream deferred.
It wasn’t until Brandon moved to Los Angeles that he first gave himself permission to become a cowboy. He wasn’t waiting for anyone else to validate whether it was ok. He realized that his personal views were firm enough to allow him to create space for opportunities, relationships, and healing. “You can’t wait for society to tell you it’s ok, you can’t wait for your mom or someone else to come along and tell you it’s ok. When you find it in you to just say this is what I want to do, your life will begin to change.” Brandon sincerely believes that everything that God has predestined for you — whether it’s a friend, a connection or something that you need—can be found on the other side of you telling yourself, yes. Since making that decision for himself, he has never looked back. In many respects, riding horses helped Brandon cultivate confidence and find out who he truly is. And now he helps others embrace who they are through horsemanship.
Brandon Alexander. Photo Credit: Caydie McCumber.
“This is a partnership. I’m not here to dominate this beast . . . you have something to offer me, and I have something to offer you, which is shelter, love, connection, and all the things you would get in your herd minus the fact that you aren’t getting hunted by some wild animal..”
Naturally, many people have a fear of horses. “Whether it’s an anxious experience or a calming experience, the second you get in that saddle, you become aware of what it truly means to be present. You become aware of how you are communicating.” Brandon appreciates that horses only respond to clear thoughts. “Either we are, or we aren’t. Horses don’t receive maybe. Their first instinct is to establish whether they can trust you.” Drawing parallels to real life, Brandon emphasizes that “if you can’t trust someone’s communication, you don’t feel safe with them.” Working with horses is a lot about personal growth and development. It’s that growth that has fueled success in all aspects of Brandon’s life.
Brandon emphasizes that, “Horsemanship will showcase internally if you are a horseman, not some rough and tumble wanna-be cowboy, where you are pulling all on the horse.” Riding magnifies the concept that effective leadership hinges on developing trusting relationships — when you are in the saddle your life depends on acknowledging this. “This is a partnership. I’m not here to dominate this beast . . . you have something to offer me, and I have something to offer you, which is shelter, love, connection, and all the things you would get in your herd minus the fact that you aren’t getting hunted by some wild animal,” says Brandon. In return the horse gives you, “its heart, its mind, its body, its speed, its intelligence, and the freedom to see the world and travel in a way that we can’t do any other way.”
Brandon Alexander. Photo Credit: Ivan McClellan.
In his off-screen time, Brandon works to help youths get out in the open country, riding horses. Referencing his interest in one of the young Black men, he says, “I wanted to give him what I never had as a kid… I wanted to give him that moment to just be himself and to offer him a resource to help him get there. I wanted that, I needed that as a kid, and I didn’t get that. But that’s the beauty of life, because when we don’t get something, we’re still able to then turn around and give it to someone else.” Sometimes being a superhero is as simple as inspiring someone else to live their best life. As Brandon puts it, “we’re blessed to be a blessing.”
It’s clear that Brandon Alexander is more than just a Chadwick Boseman lookalike — he also possesses the confidence, leadership, commitment to service, and dignified demeanor worthy of a king. Every block, every hood, every city, every ghetto needs a black superhero — and no one is more ready for the challenge than Brandon as he pursues his dream to become the new Black Panther.
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