Remembering Chadwick Boseman, in his words.
Image by Mark Seliger.
We didn’t know it at the time, but this day 2 years ago would be the last one we’d share a planet with the inimitable Chadwick Boseman. Because at 3.12am on the morning of August 29th 2020, in my bedroom in England, I opened a notification from Facebook to read words that are forever imprinted on my mind. “It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman.” I played them on repeat in my head for what felt like months. It probably was months. They didn’t feel real then and they still don’t feel real now. But it goes to show the power of words, the way they can make a home in you, take root. And though he wasn’t with us nearly as long as he should have been, Chadwick left us with powerful words, words we should let take root and grow in us. So today, two years on from a day that shouldn’t have happened, I’d like to remember Chadwick Boseman, in his own words.
“The projects that I end up doing, that I want to be involved with in any way, have always been projects that will be impactful, for the most part, to my people — to black people”
And he meant it. Chadwick has 34 acting credits to his name, and where some actors might do one biopic in their career, and many go a whole career without ever doing one, Chadwick has played three historical Black figures: Thurgood Marshall, James Brown, and Jackie Robinson. He went to work every day to make our histories more accessible to us. School might not want to teach it, but if you can get a DVD, if you can get onto a streaming service, he would tell you about how we’re Lawyers, Musicians, Sports stars. The best in their field even. And it wasn’t just the true stories, his pure fiction came with the same goal. Chadwick embodied what is meant when we say “diversity vs representation.” Sure, he could have taken the roles of gangster, of criminal, of slave, he could have chosen them and diversified the cast lists on IMDb, but he knew that the work had a bigger impact than just money in his pocket. Speaking about this very thing he said "When I dared to challenge the systems that would relegate us to victims and stereotypes with no clear historical backgrounds, no hopes or talents, when I questioned that method of portrayal, a different path opened up for me — a path to my destiny. When God has something for you, it doesn’t matter who stands against it.” He chose to spend his time empowering, representing all the beautiful facets of who a Black person can be, he chose to be a positive someone that people could aspire to be. That was his path.
“I feel that I’m living my purpose. But the thing about purpose is that it unfolds to you more and more everyday…Purpose is not related to career. It’s related to what God put inside you that you’re supposed to give to the world.”
Chadwick majored in directing at Howard University, but he also spent a fair bit of time at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. And it’s clear when we look at his work, and then we put those two things together, that Chadwick had his purpose figured out pretty early on. At his heart, Chadwick was a storyteller, and it was the stories of Black people that spoke to his soul, and sharing those stories. I truly believe even had he not been an actor, he’d have still spent his life doing that same thing. The days of Jackie Robinson might seem far away, but because of Chadwick’s work in 42 little Black boys in 2022 can look at Jackie in the same awe that little Black boys in 1947 did. It might seem impossible for anything to do with the law to appeal to young Black kids when they see how it treats them, but then they watch Chadwick in Thurgood and see that in times even more troubling than our own, Black people were fighing the law from within. He was told that he maybe even did too many biopics but he rebuked that pretty solidly when he said in 2018 “I certainly wouldn’t be here if it were not for those men that I portrayed, because of what they did in their lives, and the door that it opened for me.” And he was absolutely right. We truly do stand on the backs of giants and he knew that, and more than knowing, he understood and respected it. And he wasn’t just talking about the African American experience, he meant global. He said in 2018 when he was speaking with Rolling Stone that “There’s a plethora of stories in our culture that haven’t been told because Hollywood didn’t believe they were viable, it would be cool to see slices of history that you haven’t seen with African figures. Like Africans in Europe – the Moors in Spain. Or if you go to Portugal, they have statues of Black people all over the place. So, not only have we been here, but we’ve directly affected everything that you think is European.” Before he passed, he was even then working on a film about the only Black Samurai in Japan. Chadwick understood that knowledge was power, he understood the power of knowing your history, and that within that knowing is often where we find our purpose.
“Purpose crosses disciplines. Purpose is an essential element of you. It is the reason you are on the planet at this particular time in history.” - Chadwick, 2018.
Chadwick gave the 2018 commencement speech at Howard University where he spoke about purpose and legacy. Purpose was a big thing for Chadwick, he spoke of it a lot over the years. As a person who found his purpose through the arts, and of course as a supporter of the arts, Chadwick had been advocating since 1997 for the College of Fine Arts to be reinstated at Howard, even leading a multi-day demonstration for it when he was studying. It was on this day in 2018 when Chadwick came and spoke to students who weren’t even born when he was starting to discover his purpose at Howard, that it was announced there were plans to finally reinstate the College of Fine Arts. In 2021, the second part of that purpose and legacy speech came into play. Legacy. Because now, this building that was so important to him, this place that allowed people to explore fine art and expression and to figure out why they’re here, was to be named in his honour. The Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Art at Howard University. And more than this, with donations from Netflix and Chadwick’s family, the college was able to offer scholarships that totalled $5.4million to students from the College of Fine Arts who represent Chadwick’s values and character. They were Sarah Long who majored in Musical Theatre, Shawn Smith who majored in Acting, Janee’ Ferguson who majored in Theatre Arts Administration, and Deirdre Dunkin who majored in Dance. And if this was the only legacy he’d left behind, what a legacy it would be. Opening doors to education, allowing Black people to engage in the joy of the arts without the worry of the financial, free to truly discover what it is that makes their soul sing. But we all know that isn’t his only legacy.
“When it comes down to it, I'd rather have an action figure than a Golden Globe.”
We couldn’t possibly talk about the legacy of Chadwick Boseman, without talking about the screen adaptation of Black Panther. For so long, when it came to heroes, Black people just didn’t get to see themselves. We saw rich white dudes (that’s you Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne), we saw blue eyes and blonde hair, (That’s you Steve Rogers and Thor Odinson), we saw aliens that also somehow took the shape of white guys (Hey Clark Kent), we saw white women, we saw white children, we saw big green dudes that were also white men when they weren’t big green dudes. We didn’t get to see us. For a long time Hollywood execs claimed we simply wouldn’t sell. Black casts wouldn’t get audiences in seats because it wasn’t relatable to white audiences. And then Black Panther happened and blew a hole straight through the nonsense. It made over $1.3billion at the box office, it made grown adults cry seeing themselves in such a positive light, it was the most tweeted about movie of 2018. The cultural impact of the film cannot be understated - the soundtrack went to number 1 on music charts, Disney had a show in New York Fashion Week that was inspired by the fashions in the film, sales of African clothing increased in the US as a result of this film. The success of the film also paved the way for other lesser-known heroes from the comics to make their way to the screen, and that massively included characters of colour. Since Black Panther we’ve had an Asian hero in Shang Chi, Miss Marvel and Moon Knight have given Latina and Latino characters the spotlight, Marvel chose to do Sam Wilson as Captain America instead of Bucky Barnes, and coming up we know we’re going to see Mahershala Ali as Blade and Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams aka Iron Heart. And right now around the world there are little kids at home playing, and they get to pick up a Black Panther action figure, or Shuri, or Okoye and imagine they’re them. They don’t have to pick up only white heroes and question why none of them look like them. And Chadwick was right, that’s a way cooler thing to have than a golden globe.
“Savor the taste of your triumphs today, don't just swallow them all whole without digesting what is actually happening here. Look down over what you conquered and appreciate what God has brought you through.”
If there is one quote I want to leave you with though, it is this one. Chadwick was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer in 2016, and whilst he kept the battle private, he showed us publicly just how much he meant this. In the 4 years between his diagnosis and the world losing his light, he made nearly a third of his whole filmography. He didn’t know how long he’d have, so he fitted as much in as he could. And he soaked it all in, tireless even though he must have been so tired. Every time he was asked to say Wakanda Forever, he did it, because he knew what it took to get there. Not just for him personally but as a community. Every time he was booked to speak, he finessed every word to make sure his point truly came across, trying to connect with every person who might one day hear him. And I hope beyond hope, that he took time to take his own advice. I hope he soaked in the numerous ways he triumphed, in the face of what could feel insurmountable. Because even without adding in the fight for his life, Chadwick grew up as a black boy in Anderson, South Carolina. He was used to driving to school behind confederate flags. He was used to being pulled over by cops for no reason. He staged his first play in junior year after a classmate was shot and killed. There were so many obstacles in his path through simply the circumstances of his society. And he conquered them and he triumphed.
And I think if we all take the essence of these quotes, and apply them to our lives? What a world that would be. Find your community, and amplify it, support it, share it with love. Remember that your purpose on this earth is bigger than grades or a career. Some people are lucky to find a career that fulfils their purpose, but if that’s not you, make sure you find time to give your soul what it needs. And don’t forget to breathe in your accomplishments. Don’t brush them off or underplay them, you overcame some type of hurdle to get there, let your mind, body and soul enjoy that for a moment.
Chadwick Boseman dedicated his life to telling the stories that reflected the greatness of Black people. He dedicated his life to inspiring the next generation, to honouring his community, to honouring his ancestors, to creating heroes for us to aspire to, to admire. And if he was here for me to ask, I don’t think he’d even agree with me when I say, along the way he became a hero. He became an inspiration. He became who we looked at and admired. His work, his craft, his purpose, it all shone so brightly in life. And even in death, his strength, his courage, his determination to live and die on his terms, they are life lessons we could and should carry with us. Much too soon he went from honouring ancestors to being one. I’ve said before, Blackness is to know you stand on the back of giants, and that their work, their sacrifices, their hardships, struggles and victories helped to pave the path you walk.
It still doesn’t feel real that his light is one we now have to carry for him. But what was real before 3.12am on August 29th 2020, and what remains real now is this. Chadwick Boseman, in life and in legacy you were, you are, you will remain, a giant. Thank you. You gave us everything you had to give, and we will hold you in our hearts forever.