The #BlackPantherChallenge Has Raised More Than $300,000 to Send Kids to See Black Panther

Started by marketer and philanthropist Frederick Joseph, the Black Panther Challenge is a fundraising initiative to help black kids go see Black Panther in theaters. After Joseph’s Harlem-specific fundraiser raised more than $40,000, he called on others to launch similar GoFundMe campaigns for their communities.

“All children deserve to believe they can save the world, go on exciting adventures, or accomplish the impossible,” Joseph said. “I am grateful that all of you have answered the call and are taking action to help more kids watch their heroes on the big screen. Let’s keep pushing forward. If you’re a teacher, buy tickets for your entire classroom. If you’re a coach, take your team. If you’re a community leader, do some organizing and get the kids and parents in your community to the theater.”

The Challenge has inspired more than 300 GoFundMe campaigns, which have collectively raised more than $300,000 to send approximately 23,000 children to see Black Panther. According to GoFundMe, donations have come in from all 50 U.S. states and 30 countries around the world.

As a result, Frederick Joseph says, the #BlackPantherChallenge is “the largest overall GoFundMe campaign in the site’s history for an entertainment event or experience.”

Now, as Joseph acknowledges over at HuffPost, representation isn’t the end-all-be-all of necessary change. There are many other worthwhile causes—bail money drives, educational fundraisers, community organizations—that address systemic oppression in less feel-good, media-friendly ways. However, he writes, “we must back efforts to tear down systems of oppression and support initiatives that bring black joy. Black children are so often instilled with the tools to survive, but when do they have the chance to live? When do we let them laugh and smile? It is important that we work on all our needs, understanding that support of one cause for good doesn’t diminish the greatness of other causes aimed at systemic change.”

If you’d like to contribute to one of the #BlackPantherChallenge GoFundMe campaigns, you can find a list of them here.

(via Buzzfeed News; image: Marvel Entertainment and Walt Disney Studios)

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Marykate Jasper