If you opened this post, you’re probably aware that Chadwick Boseman, the star of the Black Panther movie, just died.
He played the African king of Wakanda, a fictional country in the Marvel comic book series. With stunning beauty and advanced technology the country is a symbol of black excellence.
The movie itself is said to have made an “enormous cultural footprint” because it spoke to being black in both America and Africa.
Chadwick’s portrayal of a black superhero with powers was enough to intrigue me. So I started googling him, and now I’m devouring YouTube videos of this sweet soul.
I’m crying and laughing at the same time as I watch an in-depth interview with Tevor Noah, a hilarious conversation with Jamie Foxx, an entertaining skit from Saturday Night Live, and a powerful commencement speech at Howard University.
But one of the most meaningful YouTube clips was a Jimmy Fallon show with fans of the Black Panther sharing what the movie meant to them. Little did they know Chadwick was right behind the curtain.
He also appears in videos at a hospital cancer ward. His bright spirit and a dazzling smile comforted the children battling for their lives.
His own cancer diagnosis was held private as he stepped up to act in 7 movies. He was able in just 4 years while receiving cancer treatments to play Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall, and the Black Panther.
Each one of these roles brought to the screen a piece of what is so relevant to the conversation we are all engaged in right now in our society… that Black Lives Matter.
Wherever you are on the spectrum of this current conversation, you can admire Chadwick’s courage to portray black men who have faced enormous fears.
I think he was able to embody men that stood up to oppression and hatred because he was in fact facing the fear of his own death.
I could go on about my admiration for this beautiful human being, but I want to come back to you and why I’m sharing my sadness.
Chadwick Boseman chose to live fully and make his mark… even with a terminal diagnosis. He moved forward in spite of that ever-present fear.
Can his life be an inspiration so you can begin to face your fear and move forward with your life?
Let me know what your thoughts.