In Black Panther, the character of Shuri is a tech-savvy badass young lady. And now, Serena Williams has brought the next generation of Shuris to a special screening of the new Marvel epic.
Williams surprised a group of girls from organization Black Girls Code at a Black Panther screening on Thursday night. She posted an image of her with the young girls at the screening on Instagram.
The screening was initially met as a corporate screening Williams’s husband Alexis Ohanian Sr. put together for his company Initialized Capital, but he decided to give the remaining seats to Black Girls Code. While employees of Ohanian’s company and their families attended, the young girls from the organization filled the rest of the seats. Williams attended the screening was a bonus surprised and she entered the theater to cheers ahead of the screening.
Black Girls Code is an organization that aims to empower young women of color to embrace tech fields. They work with girls ages 7-17 to become builders and creators with in the tech marketplace.
It is incredibly important for people to see themselves in media and thankfully the girls from Black Girls Code in attendance get to see Shuri in Black Panther. Not only is she T’Challa’s teenage sister, but she is the who designs the technology for Wakanda. Shuri is innovative and brilliant, which is the type of character young people of color should see in popular media.
Williams joins a list of celebrities who have provided opportunities for people to see Black Panther for free. Among them Octavia Spender and T.I. Spencer shared the news of her plans to buy out a theater in Mississippi in order for members of underserved communities could see the Marvel film. TI, who appeared in Ant-Man as Dave, is teaming up with Walmart to give away tickets in Atlanta.
**Black Panther is out now.
