Danai Gurira & Iman Help Raise Over $2M To End Global Poverty For CARE Impact Awards

Black Panther Star Danai Gurira and supermodel Iman took the stage to help bring awareness to women in poverty across the globe this past Thursday evening for the 2nd annual Care Impact Awards.

“It never made sense to me, the injustice that women and girls face, just because we were born girls,” Gurira said in a speech. She also explained that she always had a passion to end injustice for girls around the world, and she found a way to contribute to that cause through storytelling.

“As a storyteller, I seek to reach strangers to inspire them to think, to feel, to cry, to laugh and to hopefully take action,” Gurira stated. “CARE is taking action every day and deserves more applause than any playwright or actor.”

According to Variety, CARE is the first organization that Gurira has ever made a charitable donation to. CARE was founded in 1945 and will have its 75th anniversary in 2020. CARE is the chief humanitarian organization helping to end global poverty.

Through community-based action, the organization wishes to create economic opportunities, improve education and end hunger. The goal of the organization is to end global poverty by 2030. The benefit that the organization held on Tuesday evening at the Mandarin Oriental in NYC raised $2.15 Million.

Iman, who is deeply rooted in charity work, discovered CARE when she was given an award at last year’s ceremony. Iman was a Somalian refugee in her past that understands what it’s like for others that are currently refugees. She was given an integral role in the CARE organization as a Global Advocate, aiding refugee girls and women from all over the world.

Iman shared her adoration of Gurira’s work as a UN Women global ambassador and the founder of the nonprofit organization, Love Our Girls, as she introduced ‘The Walking Dead and ‘Black Panther’ actress to the stage. “Danai Gurira is a powerful force on the screen and the stage,” Iman said. “But Danai plays an equally important role off the stage. She’s a relentless advocate for women.”

Gurira was awarded during the ceremony along with awards given to Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, XPRIZE CEO Anousheh Ansari, Oak HC/FT co-founder and managing director Annie Lamont, and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.