Black Panther (film)

Not to be confused with The Black Panther (1921 film) or The Black Panther (1977 film).

{{Infobox film |name = Black Panther |image = Black Panther film poster.jpg |caption = Theatrical release poster |director = Ryan Coogler Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 86 out of 100 based on 10 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

Cultural impact

In early January 2018, New York resident Frederick Joseph created a GoFundMe campaign in hopes to raise money to help children of color at the Boys & Girls Club in Harlem see Black Panther. Joseph called the release of Black Panther a "rare opportunity for young students (primarily of color) to see a black major cinematic and comic book character come to life. This representation is truly fundamental for young people, especially those who are often underserved, unprivileged, and marginalized both nationally and globally." The campaign exceeded its goal, and given the popularity of its intent, Joseph asked others to create their own campaigns in their own communities to take more children to see the film, which he named the "Black Panther Challenge". GoFundMe created a centralized page for anyone wishing to create a campaign for the challenge, and revealed that 10 campaigns created using the sign up page would receive a $100 donation from GoFundMe. Over 100 additional campaigns were started, with many celebrities offering their support and contributions to the campaigns, such as actress Octavia Spencer who intended to buy out a theater in Mississippi for underserved members of the community. Obi Umunna, a Jacksonville-based attorney born to Nigerian immigrants, participated in the challenge saying, "I just want for kids in my community to have the same opportunity and to see this movie... I think this is an awesome opportunity for them to see themselves represented in a very positive light... compared to some of the negative images that you see on a daily basis".

Science & Entertainment Exchange Director for the National Academy of Sciences Richard Loverd felt the film would increase interest in science, technology, and Africa for young black Americans, similarly to how The Hunger Games films and Brave sparked girls' interest in archery. Jamie Broadnax, editor-in-chief and creator of BlackGirlNerds.com, felt Black Panther would "bring in a lot of people [of color] who don’t even really go to comic-book movies... [since] they’re going to see themselves reflected in a huge way that they just haven’t been able to see before." She continued that the strong female characters, such as Shuri, would be an inspiration for girls and young people. Gil Robertson, co-founder and president of the African American Film Critics Association, added that the film was "critically important" and "a gate-opener opportunity for other black-centered projects". Child development expert Deborah Gilboa felt the film would make a huge impact on children's spirits, by offering positive role models and knowing that "not only can they succeed, they need to see that lots of people want to sit in a theater and watch someone like them succeed in a big, big way. That's how we help build a generation of young people who are engaged in the greater good and courageous in their actions."

See also

• Afrofuturism in film
• Black film

External links

• Black Panther at IMDb
• Black Panther at Box Office Mojo
• Black Panther at Rotten Tomatoes
• Black Panther at Metacritic