Tribute to Chadwick Boseman

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Tribute to Chadwick Boseman

Sat, 09/05/2020 - 15:25
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THIS FILE PHOTO shows actor Chadwick Boseman posing for a portrait in New York. Boseman, who played Black icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown before finding fame as the regal Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe, has died of cancer. His representative says Boseman died Friday, Aug. 28, 2020 in Los Angeles after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He was 43. (Photo by Dan Hallman/Invision/AP, File) IN THIS JAN. 29, 2018 file photo, comic book legend Stan Lee, left, creator of the “Black Panther” superhero, poses with Chadwick Boseman, star of the new “Black Panther” film, at the premiere at The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Boseman, who played Black icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown before finding fame as the regal Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe, has died of cancer. His representative says Boseman died Friday, Aug. 28, 2020 in Los Angeles after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He was 43. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

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I had initially planned a different subject for this week, but with the news of Chadwick Boseman passing I felt it was important to pay tribute to one of the most important stars in recent history.

Last week actor Chadwick Boseman passed away at the age of 43 after fighting a 4-year battle with colon cancer. Boseman portrayed many Black icons from Jackie Robinson in 42 and James Brown in Get on Up as well as Marvel superhero King T’Challa/Black Panther in 4 Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

Boseman’s impact on the world was tremendous, he kept his illness private the whole time he was making movies, getting into superhero shape for roles and visiting sick children.

Boseman leaves behind an impressive body of work, his roles in front of and behind the camera helped to amplify Black voices. The impact of his role in Black Panther helped generations of audiences see a full realized superhero on the big screen that looked like them, with shows being sold out and mass bookings by church groups and whole families to see the film.

Tributes to Boseman have come from by fellow actors, celebrities and fans from The Dodgers honoring Boseman for his portrayal of Jackie Robinson, the Statehouse in Boseman’s home state of South Carolina lowering flags to have staff, Marvel releasing a video tribute and even young fans holding symbolic funerals with their action figures and a petition on Change.org to replace a Confederate monument in his hometown of Anderson, South Carolina with a statue of Boseman, which as of this writing has over 62,000 signatures.

Chadwick Boseman will be missed, the loss of an incredible and resilient talent that helped used the time he has left to leave a hero and legacy to look up to.

Rest in power.