Actor Chadwick Boseman attending the Black Panther premiere (2018).
Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images for Disney
Beloved actor Chadwick Boseman, mostly known for his role as T’Challa in Black Panther, sadly passed away earlier this year. Boseman had been fighting with colon cancer for four years and finally met his peace with the disease on August 28th, 2020. The actor had his first big role in the movie 42 where he acts as Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. Boseman rose to international fame for playing the superhero Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies such as Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Just two years later, in 2018, Boseman headlined the movie Black Panther, which was an inspiring film to the world, especially to the African American community. This film was more than just a superhero movie as it had an amazing social impact, and it gave Boseman a platform to represent his ideals to society. With Boseman’s rising stardom, he appeared in multiple NBA games, and he even was in the All-Star weekend where player and friend, Victor Olandipo, made a tribute to him by using a Black Panther mask.
Boseman was not just any kind of actor, he was a living promotion for racial justice. His last film, Da 5 Bloods, was about the Vietnam War, and it highlights the way African Americans were sent to fight for a country that did not even treat them fairly. Chadwick Boseman was someone happy, positive, but most importantly, he was someone inspiring. He returned to his alma mater, Howard University, and delivered a speech to the graduating class of 2018. Chadwick told them, “The fact that you have struggled with this university which you love is a sign that you can use your education to improve the world that you are entering.” This is who Chadwick Boseman was: not only a true fighter, but also a committed individual. He will forever be remembered as a hero, one surpassing his titular role of Black Panther.