Homeless NYC Teens See 'Black Panther' Thanks To Fundraiser

KIPS BAY, NY — When 13-year-old Dorian was little, he says, he was "in love" with superheroes. His favorite was always Black Panther.

"It was the first black Marvel superhero and it was really cool to see that," said Dorian, who is black.

On Tuesday, Dorian spent his 13th birthday watching "Black Panther" on the big screen, along with dozens of other homeless teens who were treated to a day at the movies thanks to an online fundraising campaign.

A GoFundMe campaign raised $1,845 for Women In Need, the city's largest shelter provider for families, providing enough money to treat Dorian and about 50 other homeless teens to a mid-morning showing of "Black Panther."

Women In Need, or WIN, bussed in kids from its locations in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx to see Marvel's latest superhero flick at the AMC Kips Bay movie theater.

Katie Tynes, WIN's Director of Volunteer Services, said WIN was excited to allow its kids and teenagers a chance to see a predominantly black cast on screen.

"A lot of our kids really don't have people who look like them who they can look up to," Tynes said. "It was such a great way for them to see a positive image of them reflected (in the media)."

The movie, according to WIN's reviewers, was great.

"It was amazing," gushed Daquan, a 12-year-old from Brooklyn.

Daquan, along with his friends Tevon, Josiah and Dorian, the birthday boy, enthusiastically endorsed the movie.

"Everyone should see it," they said.

Their favorite parts included the final battle scene and Marvel comic legend Stan Lee's cameo, they said. The group said they were also moved the titular character's storyline.

"He's fighting for justice that he didn't get a few years ago when his father died," Josiah, 14, said.

Josiah added that he left the movie feeling empowered.

"It was nice to see black culture [on screen]," he told Patch. "It’s inspiring, and it's the start of a movement."

WIN operates shelters, transitional housing and other programs throughout NYC amid a citywide housing crisis. The "Black Panther" fundraiser was launched by a Brooklyn resident who came to WIN with the idea, and quickly surpassed its $1,200 goal. WIN had enough funding so that its teens and chaperones took up all but two of the seats at Tuesday's screening.

GoFundMe campaigns, Kickstarters, and other initiatives throughout the country have been launched repeatedly to allow kids and teenagers the chance to see Marvel's ground-breaking and historic movie.

Tynes told Patch even a small donation that funds an afternoon at the movies could be pivotal for a teenager.

"Our kids are like ever other kid who goes to school," Tynes said. "Giving back can change a kid’s life. It doesn’t matter how mall or big, it’s impactful."

Image credit: Courtesy of Marvel Studios