The seven boys of BTS — Jin, Jimin, RM, Jungkook, J-Hope, Suga, and V — along with their label revealed Saturday that they donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter. On Sunday, their fans said, “Hold my merch.†In just over 24 hours, a team of stans called One in an Army, had raised $1,026,531 thanks to 35,609 donors. If you’re thinking that’s a lot of allowance for some tweens, you gotta change your perspective on the BTS Army. One in an Army is a group of a volunteers who use the fandom’s collective power to make a difference. Last year, they raised over $45,000. Recently, they’ve been organizing monthly charity programs dedicated to the band’s seventh anniversary. OIAA had already set up a Carrd, a platform for donations and disseminating info, which had earned about $50,000 in four and a half days. When Variety reported that BTS and Big Hit had donated a million on June 5, fans wondered if they could double it. Once @Monosplaylist coined the hashtag #MatchAMillion, 21-year-old Army Daezy told Affinity Mag she and other Armys worked to spread to message to fans with big followings and get the message translated for Korean fans. “It took a lot of networking and my fingers kinda hurt, but for a cause like this, it’s worth it,†Daezy said. “This was more than just some statement. This was a flicker of hope. And I hope that others will be inspired to help fight for Black lives as we have.â€
Together, fans donated to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Black Lives Matter, Black AIDS Institute, the ACLU, the National Bailout Collective, and many more. “We’ve run big projects before, but the amount of support for this project is overwhelming,†a spokesperson for One in an Army said in a press release. “We truly didn’t know whether the goal would be reached. We’re so proud that ARMY have once again channeled their power for good and are making a real impact in the fight against anti-black racism.†The fundraiser will remain on the One in an Army website alongside their celebration of BTS’s seventh anniversary, which supports “COVID-19 relief efforts around the world.†Once again, the stans are here to save the day.