It seems like only yesterday that Marvel released the official trailer for what can now be described as the franchise’s most anticipated film to date, Black Panther. Fans have been waiting for the moment when they’ll finally experience the nation of Wakanda and now it is almost here: in less than a week, everyone will be able to watch the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Black Panther is proving to be more than just a hashtag trend: it is a film of considerable cultural significance for black communities around the world. So high in fact, that it inspired Frederick Joseph, a marketing consultant and activist from New York to set up a GoFundMe campaign called, “Help Children See Black Panther.” “The reason I started the campaign,” says Joseph, “is because, at least on this side of the pond, it’s more important than ever in my opinion, for us to have stories and content that’s combatting the rhetoric and racism of the Trump administration.” “[Black Panther] is something that is not only wrapped in blackness but is also layered and nuanced. It has aspects of feminism, of black non-toxic masculinity, of loss, of pain, of various black existences – and that’s something very important for our kids to see.”
There are now more than 200 campaigns worldwide linked to the challenge, with over $250,000 raised from more than 4,000 donations. Celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, Chelsea Clinton and the film director JJ Abrams, have also made contributions. As for the #BlackPantherChallenge reaching the UK as well as other countries such as Ghana and South Africa, Joseph said: “For lack of a better term, I’m hyped.” “A superhero movie with black actors and that has a great female presence is something I couldn’t even imagine dreaming about seeing when I was younger.” Director, Jade Anouka says. “It’s great to see a superhero film that has black people at the front of it. That doesn’t happen that often. And I think it’s going to be just really inspiring for some young people to see themselves reflected on screen.”