Kids from Philadelphia recreation centers treated to screening of Marvel film Black Panther

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - Kids from Philadelphia recreation centers were treated to a screening of the Marvel film Black Panther Friday night.

"The movie was awesome. The movie was beautiful," said Hope McDowell. She brought children from the Ace program at Mill Creek Recreation Center to see the highly anticipated Black Panther movie.

They left feeling empowered.

"Hopefully they take away from it being united and also working to help their community. That's what we teach at the Ace afterschool. That's what we kind of what we work on with our projects," said McDowell.

They're one of several groups from rec centers around Philadelphia given the opportunity to attend a screening of the Marvel film at Studio Movie Grill in Upper Darby tonight

Staffers spent the week creating events for the children to promote going to see it and the fact that it's the first Marvel movie featuring a black super hero with a predominantly black cast.

"Have you ever seen a black superhero in a movie? No." said a group of children responding to McDowell. The kids say they liked what they saw.

"It was the action and the actors," said one little girl. "I liked the action and the way they looked and how they used magnetic things," said a little girl named Patience.

Myers Recreation Advisory Council made it possible for the groups of children to see the movie for free on opening weekend and as a way to celebrate black history month.

"I did like it. It was very climactic," said Jalen Stewart. He was there with Taijae Stewart from Kingsessing who said, "There's not a lot of black superheroes so having a black superhero is good for Black History month." The teens say the Black Panther movie isn't just entertainment. The superhero featured in it taught them about heroism.

"I think it was a great movie. It will inspire a lot of black children out there to be like him," said Taijae Stewart.