Seems like everybody and their mama has plans to go see Black Panther, even if you, like me, aren’t even big on comics or superhero movies. I’ll be real, the level of black excellence in the trailer has me ready to flock to the theater right now! As a woman of color, it’s always nice to see myself and my people represented well, specifically in mass media.
Marketing consultant Fredrick Joseph realizes the importance of that too. So much so that he decided to try to help kids in his native Harlem to see the film for FREE! “To me nothing is more important than inclusion and representation for children,” he said to Huffington Post. “This is such a bigger moment in time than a superhero movie.”
So Fredrick created a GoFundMe campaign, hoping to help 300 kids to see the movie. His initial goal was $10,000, but now he’s raised over $40,000!
Fredrick will partner with the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem to hold private screenings for kids and chaperones the week after Black Panther‘s release on February 16. “I want these children to be able to see that people who look like them can be superheroes, royalty, and more,” he wrote for the campaign. Any remaining funds will go to the club for other activities for the kids.
This was an incredible idea to give these kids the opportunity to see themselves well represented on screen! Glad that Fredrick has been working so hard to make this happen. I know I’m definitely looking forward to watching myself!
Imperfectly B 