'Black Panther' Screening Benefits My Brother's Keeper

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — More than 200 New Rochelle and Mount Vernon residents were treated to a private IMAX screening of the mega-blockbuster movie “Black Panther” Thursday, Feb. 15 at the Regal New Roc Stadium 18. The event included a VIP reception with food from New Rochelle’s A Place to Go and a panel discussion following the film.

“While we were all excited about the historic movie, what I’m most pleased with is that the organizing committee was always mindful that we needed to raise funds for seed money to implement programming that would have long-term positive economic impacts for young people in Mount Vernon and New Rochelle,” said Kenneth Plummer, owner of Kensworth Consulting and one of the event’s organizers.

Net proceeds from the event — estimated to be $5,000 — will benefit the My Brother’s Keeper chapters in New Rochelle and Mount Vernon.

Nonprofit partner The Guidance Center of Westchester will use the proceeds to create job training and career readiness programs for MBK students from both communities.

After the screening, four distinguished panelists discussed the powerful impact of the film and the topic “Black Representation in the Media,” including Mayor Richard Thomas of Mount Vernon, Dean Meminger (Criminal Justice Reporter for Spectrum News NY 1), Alitha Martinez (Artist at Marvel Comics), and Selena Hill (Digital Editor with Black Enterprise magazine).

Sponsors of this special film screening and fundraiser included The Guidance Center of Westchester, Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow, NRP, Benchmark Title, Councilman Jared Rice, DJ Islam, the law firm of Lauren Raysor, Grandview Consulting Group, Webb Development, DNK Events, Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY 16th District), Mayor Richard Thomas of Mount Vernon, Adhim Deveaux and Kensworth Consulting.

Photo caption: From left, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson, Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas and New Rochelle Councilman Jared Rice. Photo credit: Submitted.