On November 12th, Super Power To the People will be be presenting a private event at the Alamo Drafthouse, Wakanda Forever Together, partnering with South Central charity organization A Place Called Home to bring unity, joy and film to black and brown families with a screening of Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever with special guest – trans activist and D23 performer Danni Cassette, takeaway gifts, a step and repeat and more.

I had the pleasure of speaking to Super Power To the People creator and event organizer, Traci Carr about Wakanda Together Forever, activism, the impact Superpower culture can and should have on black and brown kids. We also discuss the bringing together of different members of various communities at this event and what she hopes the kids, many of whom are participating through an after school art program, will take home afterwards.

I began our conversation by asking Traci where the idea for Wakanda Forever Together came from.

“I’ve organized before – I mostly organized events like Trans Joy Day where we celebrate trans folks in the community and give them a day of joy and celebrate them. Previously I organized the release of a political prisoner, organized union rallies -I worked with Chris Smalls, the Amazon worker, to help unionize Amazon and of course several rallies for Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

“As I’m starting to grow as an organizer I went to Comic-Con. I was promoting my show, Super Power to the People, and I saw the trailer for Wakanda Forever. And I loved the first one. I saw the connection between the first one, how the first Black Panther really shined and showed the black community – lets’ go in our dashikis. Let’s really dress it up. Let’s celebrate this. And they really topped it with the first Mexican indigenous actor in it as Namor. Everything everyone says about “representation matters” is in this film. Also, everything that happened with Chadwick – you know it’s going to be a very emotional film.

“I really wanted a chance to have black and brown kids celebrated, black and brown youth celebrated, queer youth celebrated as well. I thought this film could be something that could really uplift everyone because that’s how superpower culture should be, giving everyone hope. Let’s bring some joy to the community and bring people together.”

Traci’s current show, Super Power to the People is the sponsor of the event, Wakanda Forever Together. I asked her to tell us all a bit more about that.

“Super Power to the People is a show that’s taking the superhero lens– and we’re talking about politics through that lens, talking about activism through that lens. It’s based on an underground activist, myself. I took everything I had from organizing work and put it into a show that I think will really help - taking political hardships and putting it out there through the geek lens so everyone can understand, breaking it down as simplistic as possible, talking about police brutality through Batman, talking about mutual aid, anarchism through the Joker.

“It’s an educational program to help people understand organizing work, mutual aid work -how we can talk about these hard topics through a lens that’s easier to digest. Everyone knows Batman. Everyone knows Joker.”

Although it’s clear that Traci has spearheaded the ins and outs of this event, she says she couldn’t have done it alone.

“I have some great friends, some great affiliates. I’m the main organizer of the event, however I’m working with A Frame agency. I have my gym – I coach CrossFit, my gym is sponsoring as well. Shoutout to CrossFit Mindset and Mixtape Athletics. I have all these different groups helping me. I just became a board member on a non-profit, and the non-profit is helping me coordinate as well. I have this great community of friends who really see the vision of this, and they want to support the kids as well.”

Can you tell us a bit more about what the kids and youth can expect at the event itself?

“We have a full day scheduled. The event starts at Noon at Alamo Drafthouse. We have a step and repeat. We’re going to have the logos, the Wakanda Forever logos on it, Super Power to the People on it. We’re going to have a photo booth so the kids can take pictures with their families. They can take those pictures home immediately, and then we’re going to set up into the theatre.

“The kids are going to have free food, free drinks, and then we’re going to have a performance by a fantastic artist by the name of Danni Cassette, They’re a black, trans artist. I met them through Trans Joy Day. They just finished recording a new song for Disney that’s fantastic. They’re going to perform two songs. I’m going to give a speech thanking everyone for being there, telling everyone the intentions of the show – telling them the amount of representation in this movie is incredible. Hopefully some special appearances, some cosplays. And then we’re going to show the film.”

After Traci and I discussed a few more things she stressed that with all the reasons for the event, the main focus is the kids.

”This is definitely for the kids. I bought a ton of toys, a ton of comics. I got some of the comics autographed. The kids are leaving with that. I really want to lift these kids. They are art kids – there is an afterschool program, this is a South Central organization, A Place Called Home, where they can learn music, learn how to draw. They can learn how to become a future filmmaker, a future writer.

“I also want to mention that one of the folks coming to the event is a black man and his daughter – every Friday, he and his daughter make gourmet meals for the unhoused, and I want to uplift them. I want them to have a great time.

“After the film I would love to have a section where we just talk to the kids because I know it’s going to be an emotional film based on everything that happened with Chadwick Boseman. I know they kind of touch on it in the film, so I really want to make sure the kids are ok afterwards….”

This is a private event, but those of you at home can partake in some of the fun from the Super Power to the People IG account

“I am having everything posted on Super Power to the People (IG)– so if you would like to see the live action – all the things happening during the show -you can follow Super Power to the People on Instagram, and you can see the live performance by Danni Cassette. You can see me giving my speech. You can check out how things are set up at Alamo Drafthouse. Alamo Drafthouse has come up with its own Black Panther menu in celebration of what we’re doing there, so you can see all the behind the scenes of what we’re doing.”

At the end of our conversation, I asked Traci what she wanted the kids to leave with, outside of comic books and toys, from the event.

“The theater hosts about 50, 60 people, so it’s going to be an intimate experience. And I hope that from the start, they’re going to feel uplifted…that they are part of a community. There’s going to be producers, council members there, underground activists that would never have this opportunity to speak to each other outside of a protest, but now we can see the humanity in each other. This is a community of people who want to do good in the world – great artists, great activists, and I just want them to see a community coming together. That they can do this.

“Again this is a school of kids that want to be in music, They want to be in arts. They are going to be our future directors. Let’s have them still have that groundwork of being part of the community. Let’s still have that groundwork of – ‘Hey, I spoke to someone that does organizing on the front lines - something I can talk about with my art, something that’s connecting people here, connecting people there. However big of small you are in the industry, however big or small you are in the activist community – we’re all trying to make the world better, so why don’t we uplift each other and have events where you can see the representation, that you can see the uplifting of a community. I’m hoping they leave with that. I’m hoping they leave with hope and happiness, ready to take on the challenges of the world from this event.”

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Interview with Wakanda Forever Together creator, Traci Carr