Taking his inspiration from Oprah Winfrey herself and displaying an ongoing commitment to the Springfield community, Wittenberg University Associate Professor of Philosophy Julius Bailey has organized a private screening of Disney’s new movie A Wrinkle in Time at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 17, at Chakeres Cinema 10 in Springfield, Ohio. Through a GoFundMe site, an email solicitation of Wittenberg faculty and staff members, and a Facebook page, Bailey has successfully raised enough funds to support the attendance of 464 girls for the private screening.
A Wrinkle in Time is a 2018 science fantasy film based on the best-selling 1962 novel by Madeleine L’Engle. The film stars Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Pena, Storm Reid, Zach Galifianakis and Chris Pine. A Wrinkle in Time is breaking new ground as the first live-action film with a nine-digit production budget to be directed by a woman of color.
Bailey, who organized a similar private screening of the influential new movie Black Panther for Wittenberg students, faculty and staff members, hopes that viewing the movie will inspire girls. He was moved to action after watching an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the famed television host who stars in the movie as Mrs. Which, a celestial being who aids in an intergalactic quest to find a young girl’s father.
Bailey is seeking additional donors who can contribute $10 to cover the costs of a ticket, a drink and popcorn for each girl in attendance. He has been overwhelmed by the support he has received so far, including contributions from at least 140 people on Facebook, at least 15 Wittenberg faculty and staff members, and at least eight local businesses and non-profit organizations.
Other who want to support the project can contact Bailey via email at jbailey@wittenberg.edu.
