Chadwick Boseman: Inspiring a Generation

I am so grateful that I was lucky enough to get tickets to see the Black Panther premiere over a whole week before the movie actually came out. I had known about the release of Black Panther for more than two years prior to it’s release, and if my obsession with rewatching trailers in my free time meant anything, it’s safe to say that I might’ve been pretty excited. To be quite honest, I had every reason to be. In my five or so years of being so obsessed and engaged with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), there had never been a movie released in which the lead superhero role was black. For the years prior, when I would dress up as the superhero from my favorite MCU movie of the year for Halloween, I could never not help but feel awkward and out of place compared to my other, white friends who would dress up. I was envious of the fact that their costumes made them look like the real heroes, while I felt so incredibly out of place standing next to them in mine. When Black Panther released, it felt like I finally had a superhero that I could relate to and feel comfortable dressing up as. To others, Black Panther may have been just another standard Marvel movie, but for us, it felt like a cultural celebration. Watching the movie at the premiere, which consisted of a majority black audience, was frankly one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life. Everywhere you’d look, there would be entire families decked out in different kinds of African-inspired merchandise and Black Panther-themed apparel. Getting to hear guest speakers such as Samuel L Jackson and Congressman John Lewis speak before the showing was empowering in itself, but also hearing the vibrant crowd react to exhilarating moments in the movie was unforgettable in its own way as well. Ultimately, the character who ended up leaving the longest-lasting impact on me, and countless other young black kids, was King T’Challa, the Black Panther himself.

Chadwick Boseman, the man behind the superhero who inspired millions, died unexpectedly on August 28, just over three weeks ago, from a private four-year fight with colon cancer. His death was announced via Twitter, which would quickly become the most-liked tweet of all time in just under 24 hours. Many of the people that starred alongside him in MCU, such as Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, and Tom Holland all posted public tributes via social media as well. The outpouring of support and grief that he and his family received shows that despite his relatively short lifespan, he managed to leave an impact on the world that very few could.

In the year that Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther was released, it became somewhat of a phenomenon within the black community especially. To this day, it is still the highest-grossing non-Avengers Marvel movie, and it garnered tons of attention. From elementary school kids to your grown-up uncles, aunts, and at times even grandparents, it felt like everybody had something positive to say about Black Panther. Young, impressionable children had a superhero that they could look up to, while older adults got to finally experience something that they had never had the luxury of experiencing as kids themselves. To be quite honest, this movie alone created a sense of unity that I haven’t really felt since. This movie, despite being set in a completely different African-inspired world, still managed to conjure up themes and moments that black people worldwide could relate to. Through fictional characters alone, like Boseman’s Black Panther, an entire community was touched and uplifted. We finally had the superhero that we had been deprived of for so many years, and he was one that we felt like we could truly embrace and be proud of. I can confidently say that Chadwick Boseman played an extremely significant role in giving black culture a place to stand within a genre that it had previously been denied any sort of true representation in.

Unfortunately, it seems that it would only be after his death that people would realize that Chadwick Boseman wasn’t just a strong-willed and determined superhero behind a black suit, but in real life as well. In the four years after his diagnosis, he would go onto Film Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, 21 Bridges, and Da 5 Bloods, all the while showing up everyday with the intention of continuing to work hard to create and inspire others while he was terminally ill. He performed in the two biggest action movies of our generation in the midst of chemotherapy without complaining or showing any signs of being sick. He would actively go out of his way to give speeches to inspire young students at colleges, and he would travel to comfort other cancer-stricken children despite knowing the inevitability of his own circumstances. While this is heartbreaking to know, it’s also incredibly motivating, as it shows that we have no excuses when it comes to doing what we can to make a positive impact on people in this world in one way, shape, or form. Even though it’s unfortunate that his legacy as the Black Panther seemed to overshadow his attempts to empower people using his voice as a person, it’s a good thing that people are starting to learn from and appreciate his actions, even if it came after his death.

Chadwick Boseman’s ability to continue to motivate and educate people despite his situation somehow denotes a stronger sign of heroism than any of the actions of the fictional character that he portrayed, and that to me is incredibly telling of the person he was. Chadwick Boseman’s character captivated an entire generation, but through the messages that he preached and his admirable actions, he downright changed the lives of some people, and that’s something that not many people can say. Chadwick Boseman lived his final days using his platform to fight against injustice, and using his voice to incite passion within the hearts of many young people today. Despite only living to be 43, he truly left his mark on the world in the best way, and in a way that only he could do.

By Kailen Hicks