Atlanta Hawks, others join #BlackPantherChallenge
Taurean Prince, Mike Muscala and the Atlanta Hawks have accepted the #BlackPantherChallenge,” inviting 150 teens and chaperones to see the blockbuster movie on Wednesday.
The idea, said Andrea Carter, Hawks senior director of corporate social responsibility, is to show youth that “everybody can be a hero,” regardless of where they live, income level or ability.
The effort is part of the growing #BlackPantherChallenge, in which churches, organizations, celebrities and less well-known people are raising money to take young people to the see the movie.
The movie, starring Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan and Danai Gurira, was filmed in Atlanta and has broken box-office records.
Related: "Black Panther" inspires makers of African-inspired clothes
Among those attending tomorrow’s event at the Regal Atlanta Station Stadium 18 in Midtown are teens from the At-Promise Center, BlazeSports Jr. Hawks Wheelchair Basketball Team, Raising Expectations, local parks and recreation centers and youth affected by the juvenile justice system.
Related: Black Panther: Five things to know about the movie's ties to Atlanta
The night includes a walk down the red carpet with the youth and Hawks players. Prince and Muscala will also participate in a question and answer session before the film begins.
It’s not too late to get involved.
Several #BlackPantherChallenge initiatives are on listed on the GoFundMe website.
For instance, in January, Abnerd Joseph, a 7th grade pre-algebra teacher at Harper-Archer Middle School in Atlanta, started a fundraising campaign to take his students to see “Black Panther.”
“Never before has a film of this magnitude seen such diversity,” he wrote . “More than 95% of my students are of African-American heritage so this would be a great opportunity for them to see themselves depicted on screen.”
On Tuesday, the Phoenix Leadership Foundation, a nonprofit formed by Bailey and his wife, NBC news correspondent Blayne Alexander, took more than 700 at a theater in Tucker.
The movie, starring Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan and Danai Gurira, was filmed in Atlanta and has broken box-office records.
Related: Atlanta foundation takes students to see "Black Panther
The #BlackPantherChallege is “more than just a movie,” said Gabrielle Union, in a video message posted on Twitter.
Black Panther is more than a movie, it’s a movement. If you can be a hero in someone’s life, be one. #wakandaforever✊🏾 #BlackPantherIsMoreThanAMovie #BlackPantherChallenge pic.twitter.com/ZshYRwe89t
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) February 17, 2018
#BlackPantherChallenge CHI STAND UP! I Bought out a theater for an elementary & 1 4 a high school but the last1 is open2 public SHOWPLACE ICON@ ROOSEVELT 1011 s. Delano Ct.
— Jussie Smollett (@JussieSmollett) February 18, 2018
Monday at 10:45pm
1st come/1st serve.2 tix 4 each person.Will be sending schools around the nation all week pic.twitter.com/8iKYWFS21L
Wakanda Forever. #BlackPanther #BlackPantherChallenge pic.twitter.com/Ieps0DsaE2
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) February 15, 2018
I love the #BlackPantherChallenge site that just launched created w/ @FredTJoseph. It has resources for students & readings re: #BlackPanther. & you can still contribute to the #BlackPantherChallenge: https://t.co/h8f5reH2Tp
— deray (@deray) February 16, 2018
About the Author
Shelia has worked at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for more than 30 years. Previously, she worked at The Lexington Herald-Leader and The Louisville Defender. Her beat is a bit of a mixed bag that includes religion and spirituality, culture and trends, race and aging. She earned degrees from Spelman College and Northwestern University.
