The Chadwick Boseman Foundation for the Arts is keeping the late actor’s memory alive. The organization, which launched this year, recently announced its collaboration with Girls Who Code and Meta to create a new augmented reality effect uplifting Black women creators.
According to a press release, AR is a booming sector of the tech industry. It’s been used in communication, shopping, entertainment, creative expression and so many other industries. Experts believe AR is set to be a $98 billion market in a few years. Meta’s AR creation technologies, Meta Spark, helps improve equity in the metaverse and support young women interested in entertainment and tech.
Together, Meta, Girls Who Code and CBFA are commitment to empowering young women, especially those of color, to have the tools they need to be successful in the sector.
That’s the inspiration behind “The Crown,” a unique AR affect designed by Meta in collaboration with Girls Who Code and CBFA. The effect, which was inspired by CBFA’s logo, features a gold-colored illustration of a crown. Both the logo and the effect are designed to represent the Global African Diaspora. The collaboration is in celebration of Giving Tuesday, which fell on Boseman’s birthday this year. All funds raised on Instagram and Facebook will go directly to CBFA.
“The Crown” can be used on Instagram and Facebook, and can be found on Girls Who Code’s and CBFA’s Instagram profiles.
In addition to the effect, Girls Who Code chose four young coders and creators from Boseman’s alma mater, Howard University, and gave them access to AR content development tools and resources. The recipients, Khendra Phillips, Andria Joseph, Violet Edwards and Latanya Khissy, were fully immersed in the AR world in Meta Spark Studio. They received hands-on training and mentorship with the guidance of Meta Spark partner and curriculum educator Ommy Akhe.
“We are very pleased that Howard University students were able to participate in yet another creative expression paying tribute to their fellow bison Chadwick Boseman,” Phylicia Rashad, actress and dean of the Howard University Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts, said in the press release. “Howard University has continued to partner with The Chadwick Boseman Foundation in preserving and deepening Chadwick Boseman’s remarkable legacy. This partnership with Girls Who Code and Meta is a unique extension of this work which we are proud to be a part of.”
Tarika Barrett, CEO of Girls Who Code, also spoke on the collaboration in the press release, expressing her organization’s gratitude “to Meta and The Chadwick Boseman Foundation for their support of Black students and creators.” She added that they “are thrilled that members of our community were able to participate in this one-of-a-kind experience.”
This isn’t the first project championed by Girls Who Code and Meta Initiatives to encourage young women to get involved in tech and entertainment. They partnered with RCA Records and Doja Cat to introduce girls to the fundamentals of creating for AR, presenting to them the AR tech industry’s potential.
