- So, a lot of kids grow up wanting to be superheroes.
Like me!
I love superheroes!
I'm 37, I still wanna be one.
At 11 years old,
our next guest is officially a superhero, y'all!
(cheering and applauding)
He is part of a brand new series
called Marvel's Hero Project on Disney Plus,
which shines a light on real-life superhero kids.
Take a look.
- [Narrator] Elijah, he has such a light inside of him.
- Yes, I'm a kid, but kids do have a voice.
One thing I love
is to be able to feel like I made a difference.
(inspiring music)
- We were sittin' on the couch and he said to me,
"I'm gonna lead a march."
- Today, I make a call for peace.
(applauding)
I'm not asking for it, but I'm having it and I'm taking it.
- He is our ray of sunshine.
(cheering and applauding)
- Oh, my gosh!
Please welcome Elijah, y'all!
Oh, my gosh!
I mean, I am a mama to four kids and I am so proud of you
and you didn't even come from my womb.
I love you! (laughing)
Just to see young people in that zone,
speaking freely and openly from their heart
without any agenda; no one's in their back pocket.
Nothing's happening except real, honest feelings.
That is what we need.
(applauding)
That is what we need.
So, me, Patty, and Sam and Aaron--
- Hi. - Hi, sweetie.
- Yes!
- We're very proud of you.
- Oh, my gosh! - Thank you.
- So proud.
So, you've been named a Marvel superhero.
What exactly does that mean?
- Well, one, it's an honor.
It's a true honor to be seen as a superhero
compared to people like Spiderman
and see, as a superhero, why people like Spiderman.
That's truly amazing.
That's an honor.
- Yes.
- Being a part of the Marvel Hero Project,
that symbolizes that I was accomplishing something,
that I am making a difference.
And I believe that
that is what I truly fight for in my life,
and I believe that that is somewhat my purpose.
I believe that's not just me,
but that's with every kid on the Marvel Hero Project.
- Who are you?
(laughing) (applauding)
Keep going.
- I believe that the Marvel Hero Project is basically
a group of kids who fight every day
to make this world a better place.
Not just for us, and not just for adults,
but also for our younger generations.
Again, I am honored to be a part
of this Marvel Hero Project.
(applauding) - Totally crying, I'm fine.
I mean, I want to adopt you.
I love you.
(laughing)
Is this your comic book that you got?
- Yeah.
So, I was immediately surprised with the comic book
and the whole thing,
just 'cause I'm one of those comic book nerds.
(laughing)
I collect comics;
it's probably something that I am obsessed with,
which is good and bad.
(laughing)
I'm that kid in that group that's like,
"I'm a nerd but I'm also that good nerd."
- I am, too!
Hey, nerds make it! - Yeah, exactly.
- Nerds make it, I'm just sayin'!
Watch out for those nerds!
We're gon' conquer it!
- But, my comic...
The cover of it, it just really meant a lot to me.
And, see, the fact is that I took a lot of pride
in being bi-racial.
Being bi-racial is something that means a whole lot to me.
And, so the fact that they made sure
that my skin tone was on point and that I had that fade,
that meant a lot to me.
Just because my color means a lot to me,
and I fight for that type of stuff.
I fight for race equality,
and I fight for that type of stuff,
and the fact is that they included that,
that's phenomenal to me.
(applauding)
- I'm so moved by you right now,
I can't even talk.
You are so powerful.
- Thank you.
- How did you get involved
for speaking up for abused children?
- I actually had a classmate of mine experience abuse,
and I was pretty young still.
I didn't know exactly what to do in that moment,
but I was able to tell them to get help and they got help.
That stuck with me.
That put a burden on my heart to say,
well, I know it's just not this one kid.
I know that there are...
Who knows, thousands at least,
of other kids goin' through this abuse,
and that's not okay with me.
So, as I get older, I learn more about the power of marching
and the power of using your voice,
to people like Angela Davis and John Lewis
and Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.
I learn that there is power in your voice,
even if you're a kid.
I started using my voice to fight against child abuse,
and to say, as a younger generation,
as a community that we are,
we will no longer sit in silence through oppression
of our young people. - Will not accept it.
- Exactly.
We won't accept it any longer,
because in my eyes, we have already accepted it too long.
There are already too many people who are scared and afraid
and there are already too many kids who are actually dying.
And the fact is that we need to make a change.
Because if we want our country...
(applauding and cheering)
I believe that if we want our country to get better,
it starts with our young people.
- Oh, we do, Elijah.
- It really does start with our young people.
It starts with our young people being raised up.
And I have a quote that says,
"When one falls, we all fall,
"but when one rises, we all rise."
In my eyes, us helping our young people
is the way that we will all rise.
(applauding and cheering)
- What is happening?
What is happening?
So, Patty, I know that you've been following Elijah, right?
- Yes!
I've watched you and I love who you are.
- Thank you. You are our future.
You know, most people have to give kids a voice like yours,
and I'm so proud of you, honey.
- Thank you.
- You're a bad li'l boy!
- Thank you.
- You are.
- You are so good!
(applauding)
Oh, my gosh.
I just hope that you set off
just such an amazing domino effect.
You are such a light.
- Thank you.
- And to inspire other kids to be that kind of light
and that kind of bold
when you really wanna stand up for yourself
is such an inspiring thing.
It's such an amazing thing to do
at such a young age, young man.
- Thank you.
- Wow!
I am so blown away by you, Elijah.
I can not wait to see what you do with your future.
- Thank you.
(applauding)
- Actually, we have your mama in the audience, Jessica.
- Hi.
(applauding and cheering)
- You must be so proud.
- I am.
I'm extremely proud.
Elijah's dedication to just making the world better,
it's built in him.
He has every reason to have excuses.
When Elijah was three,
his dad died of a massive heart attack very unexpectedly.
You just never know how things are gonna unfold after that.
And I think because of his faith
and I think because of his purpose,
it's only strengthened him.
His resilience is amazing.
I've never heard him feel sorry for himself.
If anything, he knows that he has to be an example,
because there are other children who are fatherless.
There are days where I wish he would rest,
(laughing) you know?
There are days where I'm like,
okay, can we just sit it down for a minute?
And could you go and--
- Be a kid?
- Yes, uh-huh.
Let me sleep or rest.
But, I also am so grateful
for who he is in his heart and how he pushes.
- And, can I tell you...
He didn't just arrive just like this.
You have to have an awesome mama to end up like this.
You have to be an incredible mother.
I'm just blown away by you.
- Thank you.
- Out of every guest I've ever had on this show,
you have broken my heart in the best way possible.
You are so beautiful.
So, you have lots of upcoming plans, right?
- Definitely.
- You're keepin' the efforts going.
How are you doing that?
- I am working on my third annual
Child Abuse Awareness March,
and that's gonna be March 2020.
March 7th.
And I am extremely excited about that.
We're hoping to get like 300 people out, if possible.
The big thing about my marches is that
I want other kids to come so that they realize
that you do have a voice in the situation.
Also, I love it when kids and families make posters,
just because I believe that making posters
almost forces you to have a conversation.
Because eventually, that child will ask,
"Why are we making posters?"
(laughing)
So, if it's to the point where those children--
- How do you know that?
(laughing)
What in the world?
God has put his hand on you.
I don't know what's happening.
(applauding)
Wow!
So, and you also have a room for kids, right?
- Yeah, so I'm also working on,
we call it the pediatric safe room.
It's in my local hospital where we are dedicating rooms
to helping our young people
who have gone through traumatic events,
who have experienced abuse,
just because that is really hard.
After they literally see their parents dragged away
in handcuffs, they immediately have to go
to the hospital and wait
in this very, very dull, grim hospital room.
We all know that there is nothing fun
about being in a hospital room.
- How do you know that?
(laughing)
- Also, if I would've had that type of room
when I lost my father,
I think it would've definitely
made an impact on that experience for me.
So, I wanted to create a room
where there's light colors on the wall
and there's toys and there's games and there's TVs,
where kids can actually enjoy themselves for a minute.
- Bit of escapism?
- Exactly.
And I want it to be a calming time,
just because children do go through things
and it's hard for children, too.
The fact is that we've had young people go through abuse.
We can't even imagine the pain.
And oftentimes, they feel like it's their fault,
when it's not.
They need to have times they realize that you are a kid.
You deserve to have fun, and you deserve to feel safe.
- Be a kid.
- Exactly.
- I don't know what to do with you.
(laughing)
I know how personal creating this room is to Elijah,
and we want to help him fulfill his grand vision.
So, we're hooking him up with four Surface tablets,
a 40-inch Vizio TV, and a $1000 gift card,
so he can decorate the room any way he wants.
(applauding) - Thank you!
- That sound like a plan?
- Yeah!
- And, Patty, you have a surprise as well, right?
- I love this kid.
I saw him before today,
and what you're doing is empowering me.
- Thank you.
- What I'm gonna do...
You said you're a big ole Patty fan, right?
- Yeah.
- So, I'm comin' close to your town in April,
and I want you and your family
and anybody you wanna bring
to come to my show so we can jam.
(applauding and cheering)
- Thank you so much!
Thank you!
- And y'all, we are not stopping there!
Even superheroes have to recharge, like mama said,
just be a kid sometimes, at some point.
Right?
For all the amazing work Elijah does,
we want him and his family to have an unforgettable holiday.
We're sending them to Jamaica,
where they'll enjoy an all-inclusive luxury stay
at Moon Palace Jamaica in Ocho Rios,
courtesy of Moon Palace Jamaica
and the Jamaica Tourist Board.
(applauding and cheering)
Marvel's Hero Project is streaming exclusively
on Disney Plus,
with all new episodes available every Friday, y'all.