#BlackPantherChallenge Accepted

It started with a simple morning ping from our CEO, Aaron Levie, asking if we'd seen the #BlackPantherChallenge popping up all over social media. Once we saw it, we didn't need any other prompting. Within a couple of hours, Box.org and Box's Black Excellence Network (B.E.N.) had arranged for our own internal #BlackPantherChallenge through Bright Funds with Thrive as the facilitator. After 2 business days our Boxers (Box employees) raised 250% of our original goal, setting a record for number of donors to a single Box fund. A couple of weeks later, these funds enabled 500 youth from San Mateo County to see Black Panther in their local theaters, including our very own theater in Redwood City!

After the film screening, we invited about 100 of the #BlackPantherChallenge participants from the Mid-Peninsula and Peninsula Boys and Girls Clubs to our headquarters to discuss reactions to the film and create a Black Panther-inspired art installation lead by community artist, Asya Abdrahman, whose work is currently displayed at the Museum of African Diaspora. The youth dove in, excited to respond and create. You can find video of the installation here.

This film is so much more than another superhero flick - it's truly cultural moment and we are proud to see how quickly our community rallied around it. Thank you to the Boxers and friends of Boxers who donated, to Thrive for organizing the day, to Asya for facilitating the beautiful artwork and for the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula and Mid-Peninsula for the work you do day in and day out for local youth.

We're proud to partner with all of you.

Box Black Excellence Network and Box.org

All photos taken by Thrive, The Alliance of Nonprofits for San Mateo County