Honouring Chadwick Boseman

"Purpose crosses disciplines. Purpose is an essential element of you. It is the reason you're here on the planet at this particular time in history. Your very existence is wrapped up in the things you are here to fulfil…the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.”

Chadwick Boseman stood in front of a crowd of Howard graduates in 2018 as he said those words; his voice ringing clear and true across the open space. There was a resolve settled on his face as he gave his speech, his eyes seeming to hold no fear for the future - even though he knew what it might hold.

Boseman died last week Friday at the age of 43 after privately living with colon cancer since 2016. According to a tweet posted by his official account, he passed away with his wife and family by his side. A first reaction from the public was to mourn his death and how it happened, but what quickly followed was an acknowledgement of the lasting legacy Boseman left behind - both in his purposeful choices that uplifted black voices onscreen and his activist efforts off screen also.

Boseman landed onto the movie scene with his role in the movie 42, starring as baseball icon Jackie Robinson who was the first African American to play in major league baseball. Jackie Robinson broke baseball's racial colour barrier; often facing violence from opposing players, whilst also facing slurs, hate mail and even death threats from bigoted fans. Boseman's portrayal of Robinson on the big screen was layered and rich, bringing a depth to the character that anchored the movie and critics lauded as charismatic and earnest. Boseman then went on to play other such black iconic roles such as James Brown in Get on Up, Thurgood Marshall in Marshall, and T'Challa in Black Panther.

Chadwick was born and raised in Anderson, South Carolina. Of his experience of racism there, Boseman recalled in National Public Radio, "I know what it is to ride to school and have confederate flags fly from trucks in front and behind me. To see a parking lot of people with confederate flags and know what that means. I've been called boy and n- and everything else you can imagine." Boseman later attended HBCU Howard University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in directing, intending on going on to write, direct, produce, and act in stories that uplifted black voices.

Off screen, Boseman also sought change for black causes as well as other various social issues. In 2018, he and the other Avenger stars initiated the Marvel: The Universe Unites campaign which aimed to raise funds and awareness for various children's charities. A strong supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement in the US, he and 300 other Hollywood artists signed a letter which called for more black professionals to be recruited for work at studios, agencies, and more. Boseman also visited children's hospitals to visit children living with cancer, while he himself was also living with cancer.

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I went to see Black Panther on a cold February evening. Like everyone else, I had been eagerly waiting to see a movie that featured the excellence of black people in black-centred stories. Even with my high expectations, it still blew me out of the water. Featuring a cast of talented actors with Boseman at its centre, his strong presence was the driving force in the movie. Boseman took on the role of T’challa with an ease, confidence, and regality that was as much of a tailor fit as his Black Panther suit. There was no question whether Boseman was portraying this character well enough. He just was T’Challa. 

It is not yet known why Chadwick Boseman hid his illness. Diagnosed in 2016,  Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods and Black Panther were filmed in between long chemotherapy sessions and surgeries. In the responses from his castmates and crew that followed, it was made clear that they had no prior knowledge of his illness. On his passing, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler wrote, "Chad deeply valued his privacy, and I wasn’t privy to the details of his illness. After his family released their statement, I realized that he was living with his illness the entire time I knew him. Because he was a caretaker, a leader, and a man of faith, dignity and pride, he shielded his collaborators from his suffering." Boseman's choice to stay private on the matter is a reminder of the private struggles any person might be facing beneath the surface.

Shortly after Boseman’s death, a change.org petition sprang up aiming to replace the confederate monument in the town of Anderson where he grew up, with a Chadwick Boseman memorial. With nearly 50,000 signatures in 4 days, it’s clear that Boseman's purpose - inspiring change for black people and uplifting black voices - was heard by all who listened to him. To sign the petition click here. 

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Written by Ada Wogu

Ada Wogu is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto, and has written several articles for her school newspaper. When she’s not writing, she likes reading romance and fantasy books, liking them even better if they’re both.

OpinionJessica Blackwell