Frederick was 8. And he was never dressing as Batman again.

“You’re black. You can’t be black and be a superhero.”

It was a blip in the life of Frederick Joseph, who went on to get an MBA from NYU, and become a successful entrepreneur, marketing professional, and the list goes on. He even founded We Have Stories, a non-profit designed to support underrepresented and marginalized storytellers and content creators.

But like pebbles at a windowpane, tiny reminders of the moment a classmate told him he couldn’t be the Dark Knight kept popping up along the way in the controversies over modern day depictions of James Bond, Hermione Granger, District 11’s Rue… Like Batman, they were not supposed to be black, because black people aren’t heroes.

That is, until one more reminder changed everything.

Marvel’s “Black Panther” didn’t just feature ONE black superhero. It was entirely cast by black superheroes. Black men who were kings; black women who were smart, sexy, and strong; black elders with the knowledge of countless generations; and all living in a place where blackness was not only accepted, but richly celebrated.

How little Frederick might have seen the world if this had been his childhood experience, instead of one where even masks couldn’t hide that the heroes didn’t look like him.

And thus the #BlackPantherChallenge was begun. His initial goal was a humble one: just $10,000 to buy tickets for the The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem. It became one of the most widely participated in GoFundMe campaigns ever, raising nearly $1 million with the help of local communities, celebrities and donors from 50 countries worldwide. Thanks to Frederick’s work, 73,000 children of color were able to see “Black Panther” in theaters last year.

Despite the massive success of the movie, which media outlets like Variety even credited in part to small grassroots efforts like Frederick’s, he recognizes that it’s just one drop in an infinite bucket of exclusion. The task isn’t done because “all children deserve to believe they can save the world, go on exciting adventures, or accomplish the impossible.” So he’s answering the call again with the #CaptainMarvelChallenge.

As Marvel Studios’ first feature film with a female lead and one that introduces more women of color to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he wants to ensure that the at-risk girls served by Girls Inc. of Greater Los Angeles can attend the premiere on International Women’s Day, and help them reach their goal of serving 2,000 more girls by 2020. “Captain Marvel” star Brie Larson has even signed on, as has GoFundMe, offering to donate $100 to the first 25 local #CaptainMarvelChallenge campaigns.

The bar set by the #BlackPantherChallenge is high, but Frederick hopes to make history again. No matter the outcome, thousands of boys & girls worldwide will be forever changed by a kid who just wanted to be Batman.

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