These Photos Of Black Kids Watching 'Black Panther' Highlight Why This Film Was Needed

Chris McGonigal
Updated
Ron Clark Academy sixth-grader De Ja Little, 12, joins classmates in watching the film "Black Panther" on Feb. 21, 2018. (Photo: Christopher Aluka Berry/Reuters)
Ron Clark Academy sixth-grader De Ja Little, 12, joins classmates in watching the film "Black Panther" on Feb. 21, 2018. (Photo: Christopher Aluka Berry/Reuters)

“Black Panther,” which opened last week, has been a hit at the box office and with critics. The film is the first Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster featuring a black superhero as the lead and an almost entirely black cast, and audiences are loving it.

Recently, young black students around the country, including those from Atlanta’s Ron Clark Academy, got a chance to see the film. Photos captured the students’ reactions as they visited the fictional African nation of Wakanda for the first time.

Check out photos of the students watching “Black Panther” below.

Destiny Ellington, 12, sheds a tear while watching "Black Panther."
Destiny Ellington, 12, sheds a tear while watching "Black Panther."
Sixth-graders Destiny Cox, left, and Allana Walker watch the film.
Sixth-graders Destiny Cox, left, and Allana Walker watch the film.
Saige Cabral, 10, joins classmates in watching the film. 
Saige Cabral, 10, joins classmates in watching the film. 
Sixth-grader De Ja Little, 12, reacts while watching the movie.
Sixth-grader De Ja Little, 12, reacts while watching the movie.
Ron Clark Academy students watch the film "Black Panther" at Atlantic Station theaters in Atlanta on Feb. 21, 2018.
Ron Clark Academy students watch the film "Black Panther" at Atlantic Station theaters in Atlanta on Feb. 21, 2018.
Ron Clark Academy sixth-grader Naima Johnson, 12, center, joins classmates in applauding at the end of the film.
Ron Clark Academy sixth-grader Naima Johnson, 12, center, joins classmates in applauding at the end of the film.
Ron Clark Academy seventh-grader Nevaeh Williams, center, joins classmates in singing a song after watching "Black Panther."
Ron Clark Academy seventh-grader Nevaeh Williams, center, joins classmates in singing a song after watching "Black Panther."
Students from Ron Clark Academy attend a screening of the film. 
Students from Ron Clark Academy attend a screening of the film. 
Students from Ron Clark Academy listen to their teacher after leaving the theater. 
Students from Ron Clark Academy listen to their teacher after leaving the theater. 
A group of children takes a selfie as they arrive on the opening night of the film "Black Panther" at the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 cinemas in Manhattan, New York, on Feb. 15, 2018.
A group of children takes a selfie as they arrive on the opening night of the film "Black Panther" at the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 cinemas in Manhattan, New York, on Feb. 15, 2018.
A group of students from the Capital Preparatory Harlem School watch the film "Black Panther" on its opening night at the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 cinemas in New York on Feb. 15, 2018.
A group of students from the Capital Preparatory Harlem School watch the film "Black Panther" on its opening night at the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 cinemas in New York on Feb. 15, 2018.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story indicated that “Black Panther” was the first Marvel blockbuster featuring a black superhero. In fact, it is the first such movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.