Celestial Bodies, Terrestrial Troubles: Non-Human Agency and Ecological Violence in W.E.B. Du Bois’s ‘The Comet’ and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

This paper explores the role of non-human agency in addressing ecological violence through the lens of W.E.B. Du Bois's "The Comet" and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Employing the concept of "melancholic hope," the paper argues that by centering celestial bodies and non-human entities, these works of speculative fiction challenge anthropocentric narratives and expose the slow violence of systemic racism, imperialism, and extraction. Drawing on religious frameworks that consider non-human sentience and sapience, this paper examines how marginalizing these perspectives perpetuates ecological imbalance and undermines the sacred equilibrium necessary for the survival of all species. Engaging with literature and art that re-centers the non-human nurtures our moral imagination and makes possible alternative paradigms for a more inclusive and sustainable Anthropocene. This paper invites scholars of religion to consider the transformative potential of melancholic hope in fostering a responsible and empathic relationship with our planetary cousins.