Chadwick Boseman – The Legacy of a Fallen Hero

Not all heroes wear capes. In fact, some wear impenetrable suits and rule in peace as the king of their country. If you’re a marvel fan, you’ve probably had the misfortune of hearing 43 year-old Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman lost his battle to colon cancer.

The regal nature of the fallen Marvel star transcends the big screen. As a young man born and raised in South Carolina, he got his first taste of screenwriting when his classmate was fatally shot. He staged his play Crossroads his junior year of attending T. L Hanna High School in 1995. Chadwick’s brush with greatness truly began during his education at Howard University.

With The Cosby Show actress Phylicia Rashad as his mentor, he met the likes of film paragon Denzel Washington, who helped raise money to further his education. After graduating from Howard University with a Bachelor’s degree in directing, he continued his education at the British American Drama Academy in London. From there, he returned to America to jump-start his professional acting career.

Before Chadwick went on to play iconic characters, he compromised his livelihood by taking a stand. During his brief role as Reggie Montgomery in the soap opera All My Children, Boseman lost his job for voicing his concerns about perpetuating negative stereotypes surrounding young African American males. Luckily, he continued to work hard writing scripts and playing supporting roles.

Sticking to his beliefs surely paid off. Over time, he was cast in leading biographical roles, including the first African American Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, music legend James Brown, and world-renowned athlete Jackie Robinson. His amazing portrayal of these groundbreaking black leaders responsible for inspiring generations of minorities led to his largest role: T’Challa, aka the Black Panther.  He went on to play in Avengers: Endgame, the highest grossing movie of all time.

Boseman was a private person, after being diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2016, he continued to work hard in both advocacy and acting. He is survived by his loving wife Taylor Simone Ledward, a jazz musician.  As a spiritual person, Chadwick attributed his christian faith to many of his successes.

The news of Boseman’s death spread through the world, breaking the hearts of fans and celebrities alike. Many took to social media to send condolences, from presidential candidate Joe Biden to former president and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama. Even Boseman’s alma mater Howard University’s president tweeted condolences. His hometown’s governor plans to have a ceremony in his honor on August 30th.  Boseman’s final tweet set records for the most liked and retweeted message of all time. Twitter commented on the tweet, calling it a legacy fit for a king.

Although Chadwick has passed on, his legacy will never be forgotten. His characters, both biographical and fiction, restored hope in millions of minorities worldwide. Through his work, he taught us that you can break the proverbial glass ceiling and shine in your own light. Because of his role as the Black Panther, people of every race also took pride in coming together to celebrate culture, humanity, and heroism.

Today we honor an amazing human being, a humble individual who through his hardship while battling his own fight against cancer, spent his time visiting and bringing  joy to others including children battling similar illnesses all over the country.  Gone too soon, and he will be sorely missed.

In loving memory of Chadwick Boseman.

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