Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Business
Business

Disney Donates $1M to Boys & Girls Club to Show Their Appreciation for ‘Black Panther’ Success 

Posted byBy Shamone Nelson | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

A few weeks ago, a petition called for Disney to invest 25% of their proceeds from “Black Panther” back to the Black community. Disney did not respond directly to the petition, however, there are plans to make a donation albeit, a small one in comparison the megabucks the blockbuster is pulling worldwide. So far, “Black Panther” has secured over $700 million in box office sales after only two weekends in theaters worldwide. It will easily pass the billion-dollar mark. Disney’s CEO Bob Iger revealed in the statement that the studio will donate $1 million to the Boys & Girls Club of America. The donation will go toward the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) programs in the organization.

“It’s fitting that we show our appreciation by helping advance STEM programs for youth, especially in underserved areas of the country, to give them the knowledge and tools to build the future they want,” the statement read. Iger added he was thrilled to see,”how inspired young audiences were by the spectacular technology in the film.”

The Boys and Girls club plan to use the donation to open STEM centers in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Baltimore.

Still independent.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top