American Actor, Chadwick Aaron Boseman who was best known for his stellar performance in the 2018 movie, “Black Panther”, was announced dead by his family yesterday, August 28th, 2020.
Boseman had battled colon cancer since 2016 and died at home with his family and wife by his side, according to a statement posted on his Twitter account. He was 43.
The statement read:
“It is with immesureable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick was diagnosed with Stage III Colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these past four years as it progressed to Stage lV.
A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all and brought you so many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.”
Boseman’s groundbreaking role in the Black Panther was the turning point in his acting career, as it gave him recognition as a global icon and an inspiring symbol of Black power.
Boseman’s passing was announced the day Major League Baseball honored Jackie Robinson Day, an annual commemoration delayed by several months due to the pandemic.
“His transcendent performance in ’42’ will stand the test of time and serve as a powerful vehicle to tell Jackie’s story to audiences for generations to come,” Major League Baseball tweeted Friday about the actor.
Boseman made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in 2016 as T’Challa/Black Panther in “Captain America: Civil War. Black Panther then got his own stand-alone movie that released in 2018, which broke box office records. Marvel Studios president had previously announced the second movie of the “Black Panther” saga would debut in theaters in May 2022.
He also starred as the lead character in other movies, including “Get On Up” and “Marshall” where he acted as “Thurgood Marshall.”
Several celebrities took to their social media pages to express their grief at the Icon’s passing and share their condolences with his family.
Martin Luther King III described him as a Superhero to many who had “brought history to life.”
“As Black Panther, he was also a superhero to many,” he wrote on Twitter. “And despite his 4 year long battle with cancer, he kept fighting and he kept inspiring. He will be missed.”
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) also paid tribute to the actor, saying Boseman showed “us how to conquer adversity with grace.”
“For showing us how to ‘Say it Loud!’ For (showing) us how to walk as a King, without losing the common touch. For showing us just how powerful we are, thank you #ChadwickBoseman.”
Sen. Kamala Harris, who is a fellow alumnus at Howard University, said she was heartbroken over Boseman’s death.
“My friend and fellow Bison Chadwick Boseman was brilliant, kind, learned, and humble,” she tweeted. “He left too early but his life made a difference. Sending my sincere condolences to his family.”
