A benevolent Boys and Girls Club mentor named Frederick Joseph took to GoFundMe in order to help kids around New York to see Marvel’s upcoming Black Panther. His goal was $10,000, but as of this writing, donations have poured in and over $32,000 has been raised. Not only does this reinforce the excitement around the film (its pre-sales are beating Civil War), but it shows that this is a new era for Marvel.
The GoFundMe reads:
“The release of Marvel’s film the Black Panther is a rare opportunity for young students (primarily of color) to see a black major cinematic and comic book character come to life. This representation is truly fundamental for young people, especially those who are often underserved, unprivileged, and marginalized both nationally and globally.”
Beyond the fact that Black Panther ushers in a relatively new, and important, era of representation in the industry, it looks damn good. Additionally, the Boys and Girls Club has been an important part of low-income America. Founded in 1861, it has a track record of raising the grades and improving the lives of millions of children, seeing nearly one billion dollars in donations in their annual budget.
Black Panther is out on February 16th.