6 Reasons Chadwick Boseman Will Forever Be Our King

When it comes to the biopic lottery, Boseman was the winningest actor in the game. From his role as Jackie Robinson in 2013’s 42 to his portrayal of James Brown in Get On Up in 2014 and later as Thurgood Marshall in 2017’s Marshall, moviegoers learned a great deal of Black history by way of Boseman’s dedicated craft. Simply put, he embodied the spirits of each figure he represented right down to their mannerisms, accents and emotional displays of accomplishment and tribulations.

Boseman, who was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, was an invisible illness warrior. Invisible illnesses are ailments that show no physical symptoms that can be directly tied to them. For example, as Boseman began to lose weight due to his diagnosis, fans believed he was preparing for a role.

Unfortunately, some people publicly taunted his appearance as they had no idea he was battling cancer. A part of the unknown comes from the fact that people with invisible illnesses tend to live as they did before they got sick. It can be quite taxing to get others to understand what your body is experiencing when they cannot see any signs of your ailment.

Further, people who live in compromised bodies are not always feeling sick on any particular day, which causes them to keep their health information private so as not to interrupt their livelihood. Black Panther filming began in 2017, shortly after Boseman received his life-threatening diagnosis. Yet, he went to work and was key in creating one of Marvel’s top-grossing films. When his cause of death was revealed, people across the world were given one tiny glimpse into how people in sick bodies live regularly.

Basketball was once Boseman’s claim to fame. As a high school student, he played on the basketball team and was recruited to play at the collegiate level. However, the art bug had already bit him.

In his junior year at T.L. Hanna Hgh School in South Carolina, his friend was shot and killed. This prompted Boseman to write his first play, Crossroads. By the time he was ready to attend college, he had decided to pursue a career as a director.

He graduated from Howard University in 2000 with a bachelor of fine arts in directing. As he began his directorial career, he figured it would be a good idea to land some acting roles so that he could understand actors as a means to become a better director. He had spent some time working in theater, teaching and directing, but a breakthrough opportunity shifted his career from director to actor, proving that it’s perfectly OK to change course.

Cancer screening advocacy and awareness grew by leaps and bounds following Boseman’s passing. The average age for cancer screenings as approved by many health insurance companies was 50. However, after Boseman’s death from colon cancer at age 43, advocates urged insurance companies to lower the age requirement, especially for hyper-marginalized communities. The recommended age is now 45 and insurance companies abide by the new standards. Work continues to be done to lower the age to 40.

Black people showed up en masse, costumed and full of pride when Marvel’s Black Panther hit movie theaters. The film, which grossed $192 million in its debut weekend, showed that no matter how old you are, representation truly matters. Wakanda became a symbol of refuge.

The movie’s message ripe with inside jokes and rich in African customs gave way to hope and appreciation that hadn’t been expressed on the level moviegoers saw upon the film’s release. Overall, Black Panther brought in more than $700 million domestically making it one of Marvel’s highest-grossing films of all time.

As Phylicia Rashad tells it, as a student at Howard University, Boseman wanted to attend a program at Oxford University but was unable to afford the cost. She called a few industry friends, including Denzel Washington, who paid the tuition for Boseman. Later in his career, Boseman was able to publicly thank Washington for supporting his early matriculation in the industry. This act of kindness was not lost on him as Boseman sought to show grace, gratitude and mentorship to others throughout his career.

While Boseman left this earth two years ago, his legacy has proven timeless and he will always be remembered as our king. Chadwick Forever.