Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theaters this November. The\xa0franchise has provided a showcase for African Americans across the entertainment industry, including those behind the scenes. On today\u2019s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with one of those rising creatives, conceptual artist Phillip Boutte Jr. Boutte left an acting career for film design, working on several sci-fi blockbusters. They discuss how Black Panther has helped change the dynamic for African American film professionals who had struggled to get a foothold in Hollywood.\n\nGuest: Production designer Phillip Boutte Jr., co-founder of 9B Collective, the first Black owned conceptual artist incubator in the industry.\n\nPodcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola.\nYou can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices