In Memoriam: Chadwick Boseman

(Photo from Ikire Jones)

Life is fragile. We lost a brother, son, husband, and hero far too soon with the passing of Chadwick Boseman. He’s survived by his wife, family, and his legacy.

Legacy.

It’s what people say about you when you are no longer here. It’s how they interact with you long after your physical body returns to Mother Earth. This is why art is a beautiful medium. It’s a time capsule of culture, something that survives, and has value in its preservation.  As art grows older, you can still appreciate it and when preserved for long periods of time, it becomes revered. Art inevitably turns into a legacy.

Like many, I’ll remember Chadwick for his role as T’Challa. Here’s a quick story.

I hate the Star Wars franchise. I’ve never found it entertaining, realistic, and I didn’t get why so many people fawned over it. I watched all of the movies and they were just meh to me.

Emphasis on “me.”

It’s not that the Star Wars story is bad, I could just never relate to it. It was a story about a future I did not see myself reflected in with people making decisions that did not resonate with the way I think.

Black Panther was different.

The Afrofuturism portrayed in the movie deeply resonated with me. It was a future I saw myself in. A world where Black people were truly free. Free to move, free to live, free to love, free to create, free to invent, free to just be. It was a future where we no longer were bound to the effects of colonization and operated peacefully on our own terms at our own pace.

The leader of this future was Black Panther. In him, we had something more than a hero. We had a human who understood the weight of his strength and never used it to make others feel inferior. He was a king AND a servant to his people. He was noble, intelligent, wealthy, and physically capable. He was not defined by one thing nor made sacrifices in certain areas. He did it all with grace.

Chadwick Boseman brought this character, this idea of Black regal humanity to life for millions of people. It was the first time I ever dressed up to go to the movies. In fact, ALL of my friends dressed up to go to see Black Panther. It was in that moment that I finally understood the appeal of Star Wars. Star Wars represented a whole new world for generations of people. It was imbued with a new hope of a better future with characters they could see as themselves.

Chadwick helped to give us a glimpse of what that future could look like for Black people with that role as T’Challa. He also illuminated our past with his portrayals of Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, and Miles Davis. One man, through his art, will be remembered for bringing both our history and future to life on screen. That’s his legacy. Whenever my future kids see him on screen as we watch his movies together, I’ll make sure they give one of our great kings the proper salute.

Thank you for battling for us both on and off the screen Chadwick. Rest easy as your work was not in vain. Your art will be remembered. I know our ancestors welcomed you home with joy.

#WakandaForever