Chadwick farewells: A send off fit for a King

The Beat By Yanina Carter

People speculated that his weight loss was in preparation for a new role he was going to embark on. The frail looking Chadwick Boseman had several projects in the works so it was possible he was just in character for an upcoming movie. Well those speculations were wrong about Chadwick of “Black Panther” and the first African American superhero in a Marvel pictures which brought the King of Wakanda alive.

It was recently announced that Chadwick had passed from colorectal cancer and had suffered silently with the life threatening disease for 4 years. He was 43 years old.  Quickly networks scrambled to pay tribute to the American hero we had fallen in love with. Not only did Chadwick play a superhero he also exemplified the qualities of a real hero.

Chadwick, who played Black American icons like Jackie Robinson, James Brown and Thurgood Marshall, became an icon himself after bringing to life King T’Challa in “Black Panther”.  World wide his loss was felt, but to see how he inspired the children was breathtaking. From little tots to teenagers people were posting their photos of the dolls, clothes, jewelry and stand that has become a symbols for Wakanda.

This past weekend ABC ran the full feature film, “Black Panther” uninterrupted, which was followed by a 2020 “Special Tribute for a King” hosted by Robyn Williams of Good Morning America. The tribute included special remarks from Oprah Windfrey, Michael B Jordan,Chris Evans, Don Cheadle, Rodney Downey jr., Harrison Ford, Forest Whitaker, Whoopi Goldberg, Phylicia Rashad  and Angela Bassett.

“He is a powerhouse,”said Chris. “He was so taken back by the amount of love he received from the movie and his role,”explained Rodney. “He was a gifted man and so professional that it inspired others to raise their game because the level of professionalism he brought to the set. “He broke boundaries during the time he was here,” said Whoopi. “You will always be a king,” Robin concluded.

Born in South Carolina, Boseman graduated from Howard University and had small roles in television before his first star turn in 2013. His striking portrayal of the baseball star Robinson opposite Harrison Ford in 2013′s “42” drew attention in Hollywood and made him a star.

He took on his first producing job in last year’s action thriller “21 Bridges,” in which he also starred, and was last seen on-screen in Spike Lee’s film “Da 5 Bloods” as the leader of a group of Black soldiers in the Vietnam War.

Boseman died on a day that Major League Baseball was celebrating Jackie Robinson day. “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,” the league wrote in a tweet.