Rest in Power
It’s not lost on me the star of the film 42 passed on Major League Baseball’s Jackie Robinson Day. He was in his home in Los Angeles with his family by his side. Literally minutes after the news broke, social media was flooded with love from friends, colleagues, and fans.
Chadwick Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer 4 years before succumbing to the disease. It was a diagnosis he never spoke about publicly.
He was also a star in the Ryan Coogler-directed Disney film Black Panther. A film that has earned $1.3 billion and counting. About the film, Chadwick Boseman said, “Even if it’s a White person who sees it, if they can see a Black character and identify with them, it changes a little bit about how our society is.”
Friends, Colleagues, and Fans Pay Tribute
It’s hard to talk about the South Carolina-born Chadwick Boseman without mentioning Phylicia Rashad and Denzel Washington. Both were instrumental in making it possible for him and his Howard University classmates to study theater at the prestigious British American Drama Society. It’s hard not to find righteous irony in the fact Denzel Washington produced Boseman’s final film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom — to be released later this year on Netflix.
Disney and Marvel Studios honored Boseman in a big way. Ryan Meindering, Head of Visual Development, created a very beautiful piece that even captured Boseman’s captivating 2018 Howard University commencement speech. Top executives like Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger had nothing but glowing things to say about him. Also, if you haven’t read Ryan Coogler‘s statement honoring Boseman’s legacy, you should definitely do so.
I definitely look forward to seeing Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom– an adaptation of the August Wilson play. Chadwick, you’ve given us more light than we’ll ever need, but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to miss our King T’Challa.
References
Chadwick Boseman, ‘Black Panther’ Star, Dies of Colon Cancer at 43. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chadwick-boseman-black-panther-actor-dies-of-cancer-at-43. Last accessed: 9/5/2020.
Chadwick Boseman, ‘Black Panther’ Star, Dies at 43. https://variety.com/2020/film/news/chadwick-boseman-dead-dies-black-panther-1234753232/. Last Accessed: 9/6/2020.
Marvel Studios Pays Tribute to Chadwick Boseman with Piece From Ryan Meinerding. https://www.marvel.com/articles/movies/chadwick-boseman-tribute-ryan-meinerding-art. Last accessed: 9/6/2020.
Marvel Studios’ ‘Black Panther’ Director Ryan Coogler Full Statement on the Legacy of Chadwick Boseman. https://www.marvel.com/articles/culture-lifestyle/must-read-marvel-stories-09-04-2020. Last accessed: 9/6/2020.
Chadwick Boseman Became a Superhero While Battling Cancer. https://www.thedailybeast.com/chadwick-boseman-became-a-superhero-while-battling-cancer?ref=scroll. Last accessed: 9/6/2020.
