On August 28th, the world got the shocking news that actor Chadwick Boseman had passed away at the age of 43 after a 4-year battle with colon cancer. We learned that day that Boseman chose to keep his illness a secret while working on the projects that brought him to fame. Needless to say, Hollywood and, more significantly, the Black community is in mourning over the loss of an actor that took his short time to bring to life stories of Black excellence and perseverance. As he was becoming a renowned actor, Boseman also became a kind, quiet, and thoughtful leader. As a Howard University graduate, he was inundated with knowledge that he wanted to share through his work and his actions. He seemed to never presume or purport to be “the one” with all the knowledge or the ideal perspective; he appeared to only want to uplift his fans and his community through his work. For me, he certainly did.
One of the things I’ve realized I loved about Chadwick Boseman is that his roles were always empowering and rarely based on trauma. In a Hollywood Reporter article, his agent Michael Greene told a story about how Boseman and Tessa Thompson were pitched roles that would have required them to play slaves. They said no – the correct response, in my humble opinion. This is not to suggest that there is no place for slavery movies in cinema; however, many Black films or films that focally feature Black actors and find critical success are often slave movies. It is exhausting, at least for me, and I usually avoid watching them. There is more to tell about Black life and the past of the Black diaspora than slavery; Chadwick Boseman chose to embrace those stories instead.
His crowning moment, and what will probably become his most enduring performance, was his role as King T’Challa in Black Panther. That movie catapulted him to stardom, but what truly made him an icon was learning about the ways that he fought to bring T’Challa to life in the manner that he believed the role deserved. He said that T’Challa is an African King so he must speak English with an accent. He advocated for the use of IsiXhosa as the language of Wakanda. For all the discussion surrounding the film, there is no doubt that a blockbuster like Black Panther exposed to the world new stories and new faces, which was exciting and profound in and of itself. However, to know that Boseman fought for many of the things that make Black Panther so culturally significant is what made him so valued in the community.
His desire to celebrate and uplift us was also something that did not go unnoticed by his peers. I was watching HBO’s Insecure the other day, and Molly (Yvonne Orji) was talking about the fact that she was disappointed that her Black law firm did not have all of the perks of her previous, predominantly white, law firm. This comment sparked a conversation between her and her girlfriends, Issa (Issa Rae), Tiffany (Amanda Seales) and Kelly (Natasha Rothwell), about Black businesses being in the struggle. During the conversation, Tiffany remarks that we all have to strive for excellence, “we can’t just leave it all up to Chadwick Boseman.” That line was such an interesting, intentional choice. At a time when Black Panther and Wakanda was featured in almost every meme on Black Twitter, and in so many other ways seemingly took over the culture, this very popular, very Black television show bypassed all of that and chose to recognize him by name for what he was doing with his work. It was a hilarious and memorable tribute and, I think, perfectly captured his significance.
It’s sad to think that he was not destined to tell us and teach us more. He had a short time, but he did so much with it, selflessly and with grace. He brought a decorum and majesty to his roles that carried over to real life. Whenever he tweeted something, fans would often be in his mentions calling him “King” and showing him honour. This was not only because he was Black Panther, but because what made that character regal were characteristics he seemed to embody in life. This loss really hurt me as a fan– he had so much more to give and I expected to continue seeing him for years to come. Sadly, this will never come to fruition. I do hope, however, that the legacy he cemented through his art will continue to inspire people to produce stories that tell us more about ourselves and our diversity.
Chadwick Boseman’s final film, also featuring Academy Award winner Voila Davis, is called “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” based on a play by August Wilson. It is set to be released later this year by Netflix. May he forever rest peacefully in power.
