When STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) advocate and aspiring astronaut Taylor Richardson attended a special screening of “Hidden Figures” at the White House back in December of 2016, she left with one goal in mind: to raise funds for 100 girls to see the inspiring film about the three African American women who were behind one of NASA’s first successful space missions.
Her goal quickly expanded as the then 13-year-old raised more than $20,000 dollars through a GoFundMe campaign. She was then able to take 1,000 girls to witness Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe bring the story of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, NASA supervisor Dorothy Vaughan, and NASA engineer Mary Jackson to life.
Photo via: GoFund Me
Fast forward to over a year later, Richardson has done it again. She recently raised over $15,000 dollars to take 1,000 girls to see visionary filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s film “A Wrinkle in Time.”
“I cannot believe it but I have the best news ever! Thanks to the kindness of many of you and a very generous donation from JJ Abrams and his wife Katie McGrath, I have exceeded my goal to send a 1,000 girls to see the upcoming movie “A Wrinkle In Time!,” Richardson said in an update on her GoFundMe page.
“This campaign means a lot to me because it shows a female protagonist in a science fiction film, “she continued. “A brown girl front and center who looks like me in the role of Meg, a girl traveling to different planets and encountering beings and situations that I’d never seen a girl of color in.”
All additional funds will go events, projects and scholarships that support diversity and gender equality in the STEM field.
Kudos to you Taylor on accomplishing your goal, and more importantly thank you for using your platform to advocate for girls of color in STEM!
“A Wrinkle in Time” hits theaters on March 9.