Charity film screenings for underprivileged youth are nothing new, but the one Hero Nation is planning in Ypsilanti, Michigan has a unique quality to it.
Hero Nation is a free Michigan-based comic con that, according to its founder Jermaine Dickerson, "celebrates superheroes and diversity, with the mission that everyone has a hero inside of themselves that deserves to be celebrated."
Black Panther will be the first superhero film led by a black actor since the Marvel Cinematic Universe began, and the character's heritage is essential to the plot of the film. The film bolsters a mostly black cast, and based on what we've seen from the movie so far, Black Panther embraces the futuristic African aesthetic of the comics.
The screening will give low-income black youth in Ypsilanti a chance to see a hero that looks like them on the big screen. Dickerson writes that the film is anticipated to "have a lasting impact on Black youth around the world who rarely see empowering examples of Black superheroes within the confines of African cultures."
Shortly after Dickerson tweeted out his request for support, the campaign reached its $3000 goal. With over $6000 earned, the extra money will go towards next year's
Hero Nation comic-con and other charitable initiatives.