Remembering the Legacy of Chadwick Boseman

The actor Chadwick Boseman died on August 29 at his home in Los Angeles. His wife posted on his Instagram saying that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2016, which he had been fighting for four years. He never spoke about his cancer diagnosis to the public.

Boseman successfully fulfilled the long time dream of many African-American moviegoers to see a Black superhero on the big screen leading their own movie in his role as the character in 2018’s “Black Panther.”

Boseman had admired the character T’Challa and Marvel’s “Black Panther” comics since his time as a student at Howard University, where he worked at an African bookstore. When he received the opportunity from Marvel to portray T’Challa, who was the leader of his African homeland Wakanda, he knew this role would have symbolic significance to Black audiences.

Boseman said he “embraced the role with a statesman’s pride and devotion.” Critics claimed “Black Panther was a cultural sensation, the first major superhero movie with an African-American protagonist and the first to star a majority Black cast.” Boseman made Black Panther one of few fictional characters to have a symbolic mantra recognised worldwide. “Wakanda Forever” is a statement of respect and hope for a promising future where people of color are given the opportunity to excel, prosper, be acknowledged, and live in peace.

Another cultural shift was this superhero movie becoming one of the highest-grossing movies of all time making over $1.3 billion worldwide; bringing a feeling of representation, hope, pride, and empowerment for the Black community around the world.

Boseman also had a powerfully positive impact on culture through his roles as Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall. His impact on the big screen has changed how many young people see themselves and their futures. One can hope that the impact of his death will change the attitudes of young people to healthcare and colorectal cancer screening.

Statnews.com says “an American Cancer Society Study shows that currently 1 in 5 cases of colorectal Cancer diagnosis are in people ages 20-54.” This trend toward younger people being diagnosed with late-stage colorectal cancer is increasing. People under 45 do not have a strong awareness of this cancer since it has historically been thought to affect people over 50.

Thank you Chadwick Boseman for redefining and fortifying respect to the image of people of color, and for giving us a universally recognized role model. Thank you for the lives that will be saved through the new awareness of colorectal cancer in young people.

It is no surprise that people around the world are calling out to honor Chadwick Boseman by not recasting King T’Challa in the Black Panther Sequel set for release in May 2022.

Chawick Boseman November 29, 1976- August 28, 2020

*On September 14, 2020, this article was adjusted to remove an error

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