Wakanda Forever
Wakanda has lost its king… and our hearts are aching.
It is with heavy yet inspired hearts that we regretfully mourn the passing of our beloved king, Chadwick Boseman this past week. The nation grieved the philanthropist, icon, superstar, and now legend. He transitioned due to colon cancer complications on August 28th, 2020.
The actor was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer over four years ago and continued to deliver consummate performance after performance while keeping up a rigorous & demanding schedule and continuing to be of service to countless others. All with humility and grace. A man of substance, passion, purpose, and justice. The latter two he often spoke on publicly, inspiring millions. He truly was an example of what it means to be an honorable man. He was a luminary whose light far outshone the glitz & glam of Hollywood.
He was an icon. Watching him play other icons like Jackie Robinson & James Brown 42 and The James Brown story and the king of Wakanda, T’challa in his ultimate his biggest claim to fame Black Panther; it is easy to see why the loss is so deep. He was not only a master of his craft, and a stellar human but also an inspiration to millions, including his peers. He was (and is still) highly regarded, not only because of what he did but more importantly, for WHO he was. An incredible man. One who really SAW people and poured into them, the same way he poured into his craft: passionately, consistently & with so much love.
Chadwick was regal, honorable, diplomatic, equitable, poised, graceful, and had a quiet strength & dignity, that left us in awe when watching and even long after. Both on & off-screen. He made Black Panther larger than life, and we only hope that Marvel is somehow able to honor his legacy moving forward with the Avengers series. Though he can NEVER be replaced, maybe they’ll be able to find a way to continue breathing new life into the story with a successor (and new king); even though Chadwick has dearly departed. So that the Black Panther can continue to live on and keep inspiring future generations to come. Especially young black boys & girls who direly need to see the expansion of inclusion & diversity of themselves represented in cinema & beyond.
Chadwick,
May you rest in power & peace, king. Thank you for giving us everything you had, even when your health was ailing. For continuing to be a diving inspiration & real-life hero to so many all over the world. You were truly unique in every sense of the word and There will never be another like you. But there will be many who come after you and keep the cycle of inspiration, advocacy & change going. We love you. And will continue to honor you. May your legend live on… WAKANDA FOREVER.