On Friday, the world lost Chadwick Boseman, one of the most important actors of his generation. Immediately, eulogies poured out from across the internet from vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris to Black Panther director Ryan Coogler and countless other celebrities and fans alike. A common theme emerged across those eulogies: those who knew him paid tribute to a quiet, confident man whose intellectual curiosity and wit impressed everyone with whom he crossed paths.
I was not blessed enough to cross paths with Mr. Boseman, but still, he had a profound effect on me through his performances on screen, especially this year. Like many across the world, I’ve spent much of 2020 mourning the death of Black people.
Kobe Bryant died in January. Ahmaud Arbery was murdered in February. Breonna Taylor was murdered in March. George Floyd was killed on video in May. Then, of course, there are the countless deaths that have occurred during the pandemic, where a disproportionately large number of those buried have had melanin. Most of these cases have been viral and have forced Black children to face their mortality at younger ages.
It’s because of this that Boseman’s life on- and off-stage was so important. You don’t need to look far to find negative, racist stereotypes and depictions of Black men in the media regardless of their success or lack thereof. While those images are promoted endlessly, positive depictions are often relegated or discredited.
Considering we live within this world of racial negativity, Boseman’s excellent performances gain more cultural significance. He’s portrayed some of the greatest Black men throughout American history, giving them dignified performances few others could have managed.
His breakout role featured him as Jackie Robinson in 42, the legendary athlete who was a Black superstar in the Jim Crow era, shattering racist perceptions along the way. He would take on the mantle of James Brown in the 2014 biopic Get on Up, giving life to the titular musical giant. In 2017’s Marshall, he played Thurgood Marshall, a Howard Law School alumnus who famously won the Brown v. Board of Education decision and became the nation’s first Black Supreme Court justice.
He embodied their personas so well that you could envision them smiling from above, joyful that someone came along who did them justice.
Besides the historical roles, he captured audiences in 21 Bridges and embodied male strength and leadership in his role in Da 5 Bloods, a masterpiece by Spike Lee that shows the Black perspective of Vietnam veterans in a gripping drama.
While these roles were powerful, there’s no denying that Black Panther’s King T’Challa was his greatest triumph. It’s near impossible to fully explain the effect that the blockbuster had on young Black kids everywhere.
For me, I grew up loving animated shows and comic books, but those characters scarcely looked like me. I remember loving Iron Man, Batman, Superman and Spiderman when I was younger, but I always questioned whether those heroes could truly relate to me.
I have no doubts about T’Challa and me getting along, though. Boseman played the character with such elegance, grace and power that a whole generation of kids won’t share my struggles. They finally have a hero who looks like them.
To play that role while battling colon cancer, getting into tip-top Marvel shape and delivering an impactful performance, shows that Boseman was a superhero off the screen, too. He often visited kids who had cancer, championed Black arts students from his alma mater and advocated social justice.
I never met him, but I imagine that as he was fighting cancer and still acting, he knew how important and impactful his art was, that, in some ways, he knows that his roles affected people in ways that he couldn’t see yet. For that, we must be eternally grateful.
Boseman’s death adds to the horror story of 2020, but his life was a remarkable tale of heroism that will live on for ages.
Long live the king.
Adonis Fryer is a sophomore studying communications at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Adonis by emailing him at af414219@ohio.edu.
