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Questlove really wants Black kids to see A Wrinkle In Time.
The film, which is set to hit theaters this Friday, stars Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Mindy Kaling. It is based on Madeleine L’Engle‘s 1962 novel of the same name.
Questlove took to social media to launch the #WrinkleChallenge to encourage people to donate to the “Give a Child The Universe” initiative by Color of Change and AMC. The program helps send kids to see the groundbreaking film directed by Ava DuVernay by matching every $10 donation with a free movie ticket from AMC. “Kids of all kinds should see images of themselves throughout the universe,” says the website.
Questlove hopped on Twitter to publicize the initiative and urged several of his famous friends (including Oprah Winfrey and Robin Thede) to participate in the challenge.
*breaking news* im startin the #WRINKLEchallenge — because it's IMPORTANT that children see this film. if you are able to donate ($10 bucks or $10 katrillion) please rise to the occasion. SUPER EASY! click here https://t.co/rCnBXfRqRG
— ?st (@questlove) March 6, 2018
“ok @robinthede, I know I ask you for a lot all the time so I promise this is the last time
ha ha….but it’s #WrinkleChallenge time…. this is the easiest way to insure that kids will have the opportunity to see #AWrinkleInTime in theaters,” he wrote to Robin Thede.
ok @robinthede, I know I ask you for a lot all the time so I promise this is the last time (🤞🏾👀🤞🏾) ha ha….but it's #WrinkleChallenge time…. this is the easiest way to insure that kids will have the opportunity to see #AWrinkleInTime in theaters https://t.co/rCnBXfRqRG
— ?st (@questlove) March 6, 2018
“dear @Oprah im challenging you to just cop ONE 10 dollar ticket https://www.giveachildtheuniverse.com to your own movie #WrinkleChallenge —-really its a cheap ploy for you to follow me, so you can’t blame a guy for tryin….signed, your favorite DJ?,” he wrote.
dear @Oprah im challenging you to just cop ONE 10 dollar ticket https://t.co/rCnBXfRqRG to your own movie #WrinkleChallenge —-really its a cheap ploy for you to follow me, so you can't blame a guy for tryin….signed, your favorite DJ ?sto
— ?st (@questlove) March 6, 2018
WATCH: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tessa Thompson on the importance of A Wrinkle in Time
History in the Making
A Wrinkle In Time is an important and epic event for many reasons, including the fact that its the first time a woman of color has commanded a budget of more than $100 million for a film. The movie also features a diverse cast and represents Black kids in ways we haven’t seen on-screen before.
Last month, a similar campaign prompted celebs like Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott to rent out movie theaters in their home towns so kids could see Black Panther for free.
Other folks have been making plans to send kids to see A Wrinkle In Time for weeks. Last month, 14-year-old, Taylor Richardson raised enough money on a GoFundMe campaign to send 1,000 girls to see the flick.
“I wanted all girls, especially girls of color, to know they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up and also can struggle and have flaws and still be successful in life,” she explained.
“It has a female protagonist in a science fiction film,” she wrote of the film. “A brown girl front and center who looks like me in the role of Meg, a girl traveling to different planets and encountering beings and situations that I’d never seen a girl of color in.”
Let’s hope people continue to support this epic moment of #BlackExcellence.