Tennis superstar Serena Williams made an appearance at a “Black Panther” screening for Black Girls Code at the AMC Van Ness 14 theater in San Francisco.  

Black Girls Code goal: To increase the number of women of color in the digital space by empowering girls of color ages 7 to 17 to become innovators in STEM fields, leaders in their communities, and builders of their own futures through exposure to computer science and technology. To provide African-American youth with the skills to occupy some of the 1.4 million computing job openings expected to be available in the U.S. by 2020, and to train 1 million girls by 2040.

The Marvel Comics superhero film Black Panther was directed and co-written by Oakland native Ryan Coogler and opened in theaters on Feb. 15.

The much-anticipated film rooted in black culture is expected to bring in up to $250 million globally over the holiday weekend.

Serena is really a special athlete, she understands how much of an impact she can make on kids, especially young girls. Serena is a hero, plain and simple.