I look forward to the upcoming contest between and among the two schools. I am sure that we have much to learn from one another, as much as we have from our esteemed teachers.
I would like to take this moment to announce officially that the date for my Trial has been set. Since the majority of you will not be familiar with the customs of my homeland, I will explain. Any adult man or woman of the Panther tribe of Wakanda has the right once a year, during the celebration of our Goddess's feast, to challenge the current clan leader in single unarmed combat. If he is victorious, and if he also gains the blessing of our Goddess, he wins the leadership of the tribe and the mask of the Black Panther, which he wears in defense of Wakanda. The combat and the spiritual test combined are called the Trial of the Panther, and for generations this trial has been the method through which the ruling tribe of Wakanda has chosen its leader.
I turn eighteen and become eligible for adult membership in my tribe at the end of this month. On December the 22nd of this year, I, T'Challa son of T'Chaka, will challenge the current Black Panther for the right to take the leadership of my tribe. If I am successful in the challenge, I will then become not only Black Panther, but King of Wakanda, as my father was before me.
Wakanda does not often welcome foreign visitors within her borders, as you may be aware, and she is doubly cautious about guests during the time of the Trial. Therefore I regret that I cannot invite my peers and allies to witness the Trial of the Panther. However, you all will be welcome at the Wakandan Embassy in New York City, the home of my cousin and guardian, N'Gassi, the Wakandan Ambassador to the United Nations, for the celebration of my coming-of-age on the evening of Saturday, November 26. I would consider it an honour to mark this night with my peers from both schools around me. Please consider this an informal invitation which carries neither expectation nor obligation to attend, for I understand that many of you will be with your families for the holiday of Thanksgiving.
