01x10 - Spectacular Sidney

[bunniefuu]

[narrator] At Marvel,
our stories and our superheroes

are inspired by real-life heroes.

So the editors of some of
our best known comics

have come together
to work on a special project:

to find and tell the stories of
kids doing the extraordinary,

helping communities near and far,

and changing the world.

These are the kids who will
inspire our stories for years to come.

Black boys do read.
And the stereotype is that we don't.

I made my own book club.
It's called Books N Bros.

He's helping change the dynamic of
what it means to be black in America.

[narrator] Sidney is already a hero.

Now, we bring his story to the world
with the surprise of a lifetime:

making him into a Marvel superhero

immortalized in his very own comic

as a member of Marvel's Hero Project.

They're everyday kids...

who have accomplished the amazing.

Now, their true stories...

will reveal the heroes that live among us.

This is Marvel's Hero Project.

-So I really wanna talk about Sidney next.
-Yes!

-Sidney from St. Louis.
-St. Louis' own!

-Homeboy. I love it.
-[chuckles]

So Sidney is doing really incredible work

with literacy in the African American
male community.

He's also sharing his love
of books and reading,

and sharing it with kids of his age.

And what I find really special is that
he just really wants to see himself

-in the books that he reads.
-Yeah.

And make sure that he relays that
to the other kids in his community.

But also in this book club.

I think he represents
everything Marvel tries to do.

No matter who you are,
no matter what you look like,

no matter where you come from,
you can be a hero.

It's so hard to get kids
to pick up books these days,

let alone comic books,
given all the distractions.

And, you know, I think part of
the important part of doing so,

is there has to be a character
that they can identify with.

And Sidney identified that very early on

and he's been teaching that to other kids.

And it's just been fantastic,
the work that he's been doing

-in that regard.
-Yeah.

I feel like we all knew that kid
growing up who was like,

"I'm too cool to read. I'm above
all these nerdy books and stuff."

And he's, like, "No, it is cool to read."

And you can do it with your frie--
Even the name of his organization,

-Books N Bros...
-Books N Bros! [chuckles]

-...is just so, like, yeah,
-[men laughing]

you're just gonna hang with your bros
and do some reading.

I just think that's wonderful.

He's kind of destigmatizing it

while he's making people
enthusiastic about it.

-Very Reed Richards-esque. Right?
-Right? Yeah.

[both chuckle]

-He's such a brain.
-Such a brain, so smart.

And the idea of reading
as exploration, too.

Which is what Reed
and the whole Fantastic Four do.

They find these new worlds
and they travel there.

I also see a little bit of
Nick Fury in him too, you know?

-Identifying a problem of something...
-I love that.

...that was missing from the world.

And through his efforts, gathering
this group of like-minded individuals,

and bringing them together to kind of
elevate the position of literacy.

I feel like that this is
a really special one, right?

Because he's talking about
a lot of the things

that we are attempting to try to do.

And so, I really feel like

making sure we tell
a really special story about Sidney

is kinda tantamount to everything
that we wanna try to capture.

Yeah, yeah.
And he'll definitely appreciate it,

'cause he's someone who loves stories.

So, a wonderful gift to give him is,

"Here's a story about you,"
literally, in this case.

When I was little, I had a stutter.

I got teased for it.

It made me feel really alone.

But reading was different.

I didn't always stutter when I read.

The words were clear in my head.

I could just disappear into other worlds.

Reading was my escape.

There's a line that separates
two sides of St. Louis.

One side is majority white

and the other is majority black
or Hispanic, or other.

On the Hispanic, black side,

there's a whole bunch
of abandoned buildings,

the roads are bad,

they basically just don't really care
about this side

as much as they do on the other side.

In St. Louis, still to this day,
we have to have a conversation

with our kids about being black.

As a parent you may not wanna have a talk
with your kid

about the birds and the bees.

We still have to do that
about being black in America.

And so, I had to have
that conversation with Sidney

when Mike Brown was k*lled.

[male news reporter]
Police sh**ting of an unarmed teenager,

a protest planned for this evening.

And in the last 24 hours,
tensions running so high,

police in riot gear on the move.

[protestors] Don't sh**t!
Hands up! Don't sh**t!

[Sidney] Why do they think
that we're a threat

just because of how we look?

Or why are people who look like me
being shot down in the street?

It was very scary, definitely.

[Winnie] One of my friends put a call out

for those in the black community
that wanted to see positive change.

He put a call out on social media
to meet up

at our African American bookstore
for kids.

That's when I took Sidney.

Sidney's always been like a nosy child.

So he's like, "Mom where are we going?"

And I'm like,
"It's a surprise, it's a surprise."

We pull into this parking lot,
he's like, "Where are we?"

I'm like, "We're at a bookstore!"
He's like, "What?"

[Sidney] We're in EyeSeeMe bookstore
and this place is really special to me,

because this is where everything started
for Books N Bros.

This is, this is the same carpet
that I sat on.

Started reading Danny Dollar.
And my mom recorded me.

[Winnie] What are you reading, Sidney?

I'm reading "Millionaire Extraordinaire

Lemonade Escape--

-Escapade.
-...Escapade."

[Winnie] Yeah.

I'm pretty sure it was a fictional story,
but it was still inspirational.

Seeing millionaires that look like you.

My elementary school,
it was majority white

and so I read a lot of the books
in my school library,

and I never really got the feel
that I got at EyeSeeMe.

I can't stop smiling
when I'm in this environment,

'cause it just makes me so happy
seeing books that look like me.

When you actually can relate, like 100%,

it makes you feel that you're not alone
and you have other people around you.

Because I think of the books as people.
They're my friends.

[Winnie] I just wanted to share.

When I started doing
the Facebook live video,

I think I had, like, 50 friends.

Say hi, Sidney.

Hi.

[Winnie] Two days later,
it was up to 65,000 views.

That's when I knew, like,
we hit something here.

Sidney's always had,
like, a bright personality.

But he had a problem fitting in sometimes,

because he would stutter.

He didn't really have a lot of friends.

When he came up with the book club,
I was, like, "Awesome."

So, what do you do?

I made my own book club.
It's called Books N Bros.

[woman] Do you have a card?

It has my mom information's on it
and mine on it in the back.

Normally, how we get new bros
is going to, like, events,

speaking at schools and having
some of the people there sign up.

[woman 2] Oh, so it's a book club
that you gotta subscribe to?

-[Sidney] Yes.
-And you own it? That's awesome.

And they receive this in the mail
every month.

-Like a curl kit, but for books?
-Yeah.

Yeah. For boys specifically between
the ages of seven and 13.

And, actually, we have a local
and international, well, national.

Yeah, international,
'cause we have one bro in Canada.

-Are you guys here in St. Louis?
-Yeah, we are stationed in St. Louis.

Three.

[Sidney] I realized that other kids
may not have the same experience

or resources to be able to have
African American literature

in their school library.

I even asked is there a book club
that I can join,

and the only thing that they said
was that there was a girls' book club,

but they weren't just focused on
African American literature.

And I'm obviously not a girl.
And so, I'm like,

"Hmm, maybe I should just start my own."

And my mom's like,
"Yeah, let's do it. Why not?"

[Winnie] Sidney picks out the book
every month.

So I always make sure
any changes are finalized

through the head bro in charge.

While you're putting the books in there,

if you wouldn't mind,
like, just helping me.

Okay.

[Sidney] What I really enjoy
about that process

is finding a book that interests me

and I think that'll interest
a lot of people.

What do you want to learn more
about John Lewis and the March?

-I'll read a couple of books
-[Winnie chuckles]

and I'll tell her which books I like
and which ones I don't.

And we'll just choose which book
that we should have for the book club.

[Winnie] I feel like the question,

"If you could change anything
about the Civil Rights Movement,"

I feel like that should be first

because that seems like a good
conversation starter, don't you think?

[Sidney] Yeah, definitely.

Books N Bros currently has over 250 bros
all over the States

and even one bro in Canada.

And no moms are allowed in the box circle.

[Winnie] Entrepreneurship is hard.

We don't really profit that much
providing literacy to boys.

It's more fulfillment emotionally
than financially.

[Sidney] There is a lot of blood,
sweat and tears that go into Books N Bros.

Books N Bros is so crucial.

It just benefits so many people
that it keeps me going.

[man] When we talk about
African American representation,

it usually goes to social problems.

And our children are multidimensional.

That's not the only space
that black people live in.

[woman 3] Finding books for children
who are black is difficult.

I could totally see Sidney feeling angry

that he wasn't able to find more books
about kids that look like him.

And instead of just being angry about it,

he went out and did something about it.

[man 2] Sidney is
a real-life Danny Dollar,

who's decided to create this business,

almost a genre, on his own.

And the impact that he's having
on our children today is so important.

Only 7% of all children's books
published today feature a black character.

We also know that reading
is vitally important

for the success of young people.

To get children to read

and not see themselves reflected
in the books that we want them to read

is virtually impossible.

Sidney is showcasing to the world
why reading is important

and why it's important to see themselves
reflected in literature.

He's helping change the dynamic
of what it means to be black in America.

Come on. This way.

[Sidney] Black boys do read
and the stereotype is that we don't,

or we don't know how,
or maybe we don't like it.

But that's not necessarily true.

How much are we reading today?

Ten to 15.

March: Book Two has more pages in it.

The role of the Big Bros
is basically to be like mentors,

help out with the meetups,
or even just give advice to the bros.

[laughs]

[man 3] What Sidney is doing here
is creating a business model,

that as it grows,
it can do a lot for the black community.

[Sidney] All right. Hey, guys.

Basically what happened
in the March: Book One,

we were introduced to Congressman Lewis.

Him and Martin Luther King
began the peaceful protest,

because they saw injustice
in their community.

I guess we could start reading,

so we could sort the Big Bros
into each groups.

"Lewis, you be careful.

John, love you, brother.
Keep your eyes on the prize."

"You're headed into the Deep South,
the heart of the beast."

"Nonviolent action

increasingly more violent responses."

So what is he saying now?

They keep on protesting nonviolently,

but people keep on responding
in, like, really violent ways.

[Sidney] What do you like most
about the March Book series?

It explains some of the past.

[Sidney]
It explains some of the past? Okay.

-I can relate.
-[Sidney] You can relate?

Yeah, so what was going on in Ferguson
is kinda similar.

We're like one big family.

[Carmine] "It was a clear demonstration
of the violent forces

unleashed by our quest
to fight for human dignity."

I get to interact with other kids

just like me.

I can't read this.

[Ty Allan] I give so much respect
to those young boys

who have joined this club.

And being part of, honestly, a revolution

of showing children of color
that not only is it okay to read,

and it's necessary to read,
it's fun to read.

"In late March 1961..."

[Ty Allan] And for these young people
to do this, it's beautiful.

We all have a fun time,

and we get to go in
a whole different world of reading.

It's, like, when things aren't fair,
we gotta do something about it.

[man 4] You know,
I think Ferguson and St. Louis

is a microcosm of what's going on
in society.

And I think we need revolutionaries
like Sidney.

I think this is-- What he's doing

is changing what some of these kids
are gonna become.

[Sidney] I don't want that
to be something that's surprising.

You see a bunch of black boys reading.
'Cause it shouldn't be.

And I want people to know
that it shouldn't be surprising.

I love seeing that people are happy
about something that I've started.

You can form a brotherhood through reading
and I think that's what's really amazing.

-[kids chattering]
-[school bell rings]

Sidney Keys is changing the way
that young people will see their future.

In fact, he's changing the way
they see their present.

[Winnie] There's no limits for Sidney.

I don't think that he gets it
to the full extent.

I don't even get it to the full extent.

But he's just a kid
and he just wants to do good in the world.

I watched his confidence increase,
his leadership.

It's pretty amazing to watch him grow.

I couldn't even imagine
if I was 11 years old,

and watching him lead, like,
he would look like a superhero to me.

It's mind-blowing,

and it's literally just because
he's bringing awareness to reading.

In ten years, I would like
to have Books N Bros all over the U.S.

Or if not, over the world.

There is no limit.

Sidney's mother said it best
when she said he's a superhero already.

And for us, we couldn't agree more,
because, my God,

this kid is spreading the love
of books and reading,

which, for us, at Marvel,
we absolutely love that.

We definitely depend on people reading
at Marvel.

And Sidney is sort of the vessel
where we see

just how much reading
can provide somebody.

Yeah, I mean just the idea
that he's teleporting these kids

to far-off places,
taking them to different worlds.

That's a great power that fits perfectly
with what books do.

And at the same time,

-he is transforming them himself, right?
-Yeah.

-Just look at this last page. I love it.
-I love this last image of him.

All his friends now
are cool characters from literature.

-We've got him looking like a superhero.
-Yes.

I mean that kid looks like the leader
of The Hero Project right there.

[chuckling] Yes, he does.
And he's got all of his friends

who've got their own alter egos
themselves.

-It's just such a great, powerful shot.
-Yeah. Yeah.

And I think on the cover, you know,

one of the challenges we had
was really capturing, sort of...

the energy,
sort of the personality of Sidney.

And in the way the power
comes out of the book,

it's almost mystic.

So, his story, I think,
is gonna inspire a lot of kids.

Certainly his mission is inspiring kids
all over St. Louis.

And what he wants to do
is take it all over the world.

[chuckles] I think he will.

So today, we're gonna give him the comic.

We've said it's just a regular meeting
of Books N Bros.

Favorite author is coming to talk
to the group.

Yes. They have not met before.

And, he's the author, actually, of
Danny Dollar Millionaire Extraordinaire.

-Right.
-Hopefully, this is gonna be a part of

the Books N Bros experience now,

is his own comic, and him
literally encouraging people to read.

You know, I think it's gonna be awesome.

You're, like-- Crazy to meet you.

You're like a celebrity. I don't know.

-Come on. No.
-No, seriously. You're really awesome.

[chuckles] You're really awesome.

And you are definitely way taller
than I anticipated.

It's such a great commitment
to what you're doing.

It's also a great commitment
of the need that's out there.

What you're doing is not good work,
it's necessary work.

So, you should be really,
remarkably proud.

Thank you.

[chattering]

[Keithen] How you doing?

I wanna say to everyone how monumental
that this whole thing is.

And everything from
the moment I got to see Sidney

sitting on the floor in that bookstore
to this moment right now.

And I hope you all realize
how important that reading is.

And again, the fact
that you're spearheading this movement

to inspire other black children
around the country to read

is really pretty monumental.

But the reason that I really am here

is for something that's really,
really special.

"Dear Sidney.

We at Marvel love stories.

Stories about heroes
who demonstrate great power,

great compassion and a great mind.

All qualities that you possess
to help others.

You have opened up an experience
of reading to so many young people.

Books that reflect
the African American experience

and transports readers
into new, exciting worlds.

You inspire them
and you inspire us at Marvel.

Like our hero, Luke Cage,
you possess an unbreakable spirit.

It is that spirit that gave you
the determination and the endurance

to get Books N Bros off the ground.

That is why we are making you

a member of a team of heroes
just like you.

Welcome to the Marvel Hero Project."

[applause, cheering]

"Now, the jacket in front of you

is a symbol of your status
on the Marvel team.

And to show you how much
we appreciate everything you've done,

we are making a donation in your honor

to an organization
that offers literacy programs

for African American youth
in the amount of $10,000."

[applauding, cheering continues]

"The mighty Marvel Bullpen
has one more surprise for you.

It is an instant collector's item:

The Spectacular Sidney number one
Marvel comic book starring you."

What?

[chuckles]

-[both chuckle]
-[applauding, cheering continues]

[laughing]

-Oh, this is awesome.
-Sidney, that's you.

Can we get a copy of that?

[laughs]

"We knew you'd want all your bros
to have a copy too,

so inside of each of their box,
they'll find their own copy."

[cheering, applause]

"Sidney, we are so proud
to have you as a member

of the Marvel Hero Project.

From your friends at Marvel."

Thanks.

[applauding continues]

[cheering continues]

I was not expecting something from Marvel.

When I saw the jacket,
I just absolutely lost it.

In my mind, like, everything just blew up.

There is a new Marvel superhero
and his name is Sidney Keys.

[cheering continues]

[Winnie] I don't think I'll be able
to wrap my mind around this for a while.

They got the button up. [chuckles]

They even got the button up
from that one meetup. That's crazy.

[Winnie] We, as black people,
we don't get the same attention

other races get
when being recreated into a hero.

So thank you to the artists

that took the time to put in the detail
and the hard work

to embody the hero
that I raised and that I know.

-Sidney! Join our table.
-Sidney!

Sidney has made it to Marvel.

-It even says, "Sidney number one."
-[boy] Check yours.

Yeah, I mean...

"Please don't tell me
you're going to waste another weekend

with your nose in a book."

"Don't you want to do something fun?

No, you have it all wrong.

Each book is like a portal to a new world
of unimaginable fun."

[Sidney] It feels so surreal,
like it's not even happening.

He absolutely deserves to be a superhero.

He's my hero every day.

He's been my hero
before the world knew who he was.

[Ty Allan] To finally meet the person
who takes this literature

and inspires us to be great.

You are my hero.

[Sidney] The comic book looked
exactly like me.

And I was so-- I was like, "That's crazy."

And when I was reading it,
it was so much better.

And it just makes me feel so amazing
that other people are gonna read that

and even other boys
who have a box are gonna say,

"That looks like me."

And that just makes me feel
really good on the inside.