One of the best actors of his generation, with a vast amount of potential to do even more, has had his life tragically cut short.
Boseman passed away on Aug. 28 from colon cancer, a disease he kept secret for four years. He was born on Nov. 29, 1976 in South Carolina, and went on to study at Howard University, where he earned a BFA in Directing. Actress Phylicia Rashad, who served as one of his instructors, convinced Denzel Washington to pay for Boseman and others to attend the Oxford Mid-Summer Program of the British American Drama Academy in London.
The date of Boseman’s death was sadly ironic, as it came 75 years to the day that Jackie Robinson spoke with Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey about breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Boseman portrayed Robinson in the movie, “42.” The Aug. 28 date was also the 57th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legendary “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In attendance for that event was none other than Jackie Robinson, as well as the late John Lewis.
In addition to Robinson, Boseman was quite apt at portraying great African Americans. He also played James Brown in “Get On Up” and Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall.”
Of course, the role that made him legendary was that of T’Challa – aka the “Black Panther” – in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After making his debut in “Captain America: Civil War” Boseman would take the lead – and throne as King T’Challa of fictional Wakanda – in the film “Black Panther” – the first Marvel superhero film with a Black person and Black cast as the featured stars. The movie was both a cultural and financial hit, making over $200 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. and grossing over $1 billion worldwide in its theatrical run.
Upon his death, condolences came from all over; from Marvel co-stars like “Black Panther” actors Michael B. Jordan, Forest Whitaker, Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright and core “Avengers” Robert Downey, Jr. Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Jeremy Renner to political figures like former President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and fellow Howard alumnus Kamala Harris, who received praise from Boseman in a post on Twitter – the last one of his life. A post made by his family announcing his death became the most liked post in the history of that platform.
Before his passing, Boseman married longtime girlfriend Taylor Simone Ledward in a secret ceremony.
It has been a hard time lately for fans of notable African Americans, as just in the past week alone, legendary Georgetown head coach John Thompson – the first Black coach to win a National Championship – and former NBA all-star Cliff Robinson died at 78 and 53 respectively.
