Updated Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018, 7:46 a.m. EST: Wakanda forever! A GoFundMe set up to help kids in Harlem see Black Panther (aka the hottest movie of the year; I said what I said) has exceeded its $10,000 goal in a mere three days, with 466 contributors donating more than $13,000.
Frederick Joesph, the creator of the campaign, initially wanted to give the generous donation to the Harlem’s Children Zone but later told The Root that while the nonprofit was extremely excited and impressed by the campaign, the group was unable to accept the donation.
However, never fear! The money is still going to Harlem kids so that they can see the famed black superhero on the big screen, with the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem now being the recipient of the generous donation, as reflected in the GoFundMe, which has since been updated.
As was initially planned, the donations will go toward purchasing tickets and refreshments for the children and their chaperones. Any remaining funds will be donated toward the organization to help advance its work within the community.
Earlier:
I don’t know about you, but I’ve already decided that Black Panther is going to be the movie of the year. It doesn’t matter if it actually is. I fully admit to my bias, and that is that.
That being said, it seems as if one person from New York state also sees the importance of the superhero movie (#ForTheCulture) that’s slated to hit theaters in February, launching a GoFundMe campaign specifically for children in Harlem to see the movie.
“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,” Frederick Joseph, who started the campaign, wrote on Twitter. “This representation is truly fundamental for young people, especially those who are often underserved, unprivileged, and marginalized both nationally and globally.”
Joseph even quoted an article by The Root, written by the ever amazing Clarkisha Kent, further highlighting why it is so important to him for kids to see this movie.
Joseph, who set a lofty goal of $10,000, said that he intends to gift the opportunity to some 300 children from the Harlem Children’s Zone—a nonprofit organization aimed and combating poverty while improving the lives of youths—to see the movie at Harlem’s Magic Johnson movie theater.
“I want these children to be able to see that people who look like them can be superheroes, royalty, and more,” Joseph wrote. “All proceeds will go to paying for the private screening tickets for children and chaperones, as well as refreshments. The release of the film is February 16th, 2018, and the screenings will take place the following week between February 19th and 22nd.”
If any excess donations are made, the remainder will go toward the organization itself.
The campaign is currently trending on GoFundMe and has already raised $6,421 (as of 4 p.m. EST) of its goal, thanks to some 200 contributors over the past three days.