Hello All:
I have never met Chadwick Boseman.
But ever since my sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, held a Red Carpet for
his movie, "MARSHALL," I have been in total awe of the brother. Those
were followed up by "GET ON UP," and of course, his masterpiece, "BLACK
PANTHER," which sold out so fast, there were no seats left, and I ended
up having to go to another theater to see it. It was so wonderful, I
sat through it twice!
CHADWICK BOSEMAN has joined the ancestor/angels. I marveled over how this one brother had so many talents and could morph into anyone he needed to be, and play it so beautifully and professionally that you see the character and believe it.
The last time I saw him was on TV in an interview about the significance of BLACK PANTHER. I remember looking at him as he walked off stage how thin he looked. He had bags under his eyes, his cheeks appeared to be somewhat sunken in, and he looked as though he had lost considerable weight. I remember saying - "What happened to him? He doesn't look well." It reminded me of the last time I saw John Lewis in person - and that rather drawn look he had - he had shrunk considerably; and Richard Pryor, who had also shown signs of illness prior to making his transition. That was five months ago. I had kind of put it out of my mind - especially since there had been no news or gossip about his being ill or in therapy.
And then suddenly, BOOM! There it was, rolling across my computer screen at 4:00AM - the news of his passing, just as I was working on an article about the March on Washington 2020, and Michael Jackson's Birthday Anniversary. I was stunned and heartbroken at the same time. On top of that, i learned that he had married Taylor Simone Ledward, his long time girlfriend, just before making his transition, and it was even more heart breaking. Being the romantic that I am, I thought how poetic and tragic that they waited as long as they did to get married, just a scant two months before he made his transition.
We have so fallen in love with Chadwick Boseman - I know I have - that I couldn't wait to see what wonder he was going to do next. Whose life was he going to transform into legend. And now we have to see who is going to portray him. I can't help but think of the song NIGHT SHIFT by the Commodores (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnjbCCC7ttc - The Wakandacized Version), as I look at the clips and commemorations in behalf of this beloved brother. Or, GONE TOO SOON (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zObf5CWpaKY).
With all of our state of shock and sense of bereavement, we have to say that Brother Chadwick Boseman lived his life to the fullest. He accomplished so much in the short 43 years he was here - while many of us are still trying to figure out what we wanted to do, be or have. He impressed me as a brother who was not afraid to tackle anything. His mastery of James Brown's moves without a stunt double proved that. His DNA - African American - regardless of where in the world his ancestors originated on the Continent - was used and manifested to Maximum Capacity. Something we must begin to teach our kids; and hopefully something we're not so advanced in age that we can begin to learn from ourselves.
Chadwick's transition to the realm of Ancestor/Angels, like Michael Jackson's, was sudden and shocking and excruciatingly painful. In both instances, it's going to take us a while to heal internally or otherwise - it's like a major hole in our collective hearts. So my condolences to his wife, family, fans and friends - and Black people everywhere who have come to know and love this wonderful, heroic, creative, loving, talented FINE BLACK MAN. We have some wonderful treasures he shared with us to remember. ### (c) GDW/ECLECTICALLY BLACK NEWS
THE FOLLOWING IS A REPOST FROM THE NNPA - WITH LINKS TO OTHER ARTICLES IN HONOR OF CHADWICK BOSEMAN:
#NNPA BlackPress
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Boseman was no stranger to playing iconic characters, bursting onto the big screen in 2013’s 42 as baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in major league baseball. Boseman went on to star as Soul legend James Brown in 2014’s Get On Up and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall in 2017. Boseman brought a quiet dignity and powerful presence to these characters, with performances reflective of the weight they hold in world culture.
In addition to
acting and producing, Boseman was also an activist and philanthropist
supporting social justice initiatives like Michelle Obama’s
#WhenWeAllVote and celebrating fellow Bison Kamala Harris’ history
making selection as the Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee for the
2020 U.S. Presidential election, which was his last Twitter post before
his death. (Photo: Chadwick Boseman speaking at the 2016 San Diego Comic
Con International, for "Black Panther", at the San Diego Convention
Center in San Diego, California. / George Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons)
Photo: Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa in Marvel Studios’ ‘Black Panther.’ ©Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Co.
By Nsenga Burton, Ph.D.,
NNPA Newswire Culture and Entertainment Editor
The world is reeling from the loss of iconic actor Chadwick Boseman, who died Friday, August 28, after losing a private battle to colon cancer. Boseman died at home surrounded by his family.
A statement released by his family said Boseman was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in 2016 and the disease progressed to stage 4. Boseman endured countless surgeries and treatments as he continued to make films from Marshall (directed by Reginald Hudlin), Da 5 Bloods (directed by Spike Lee) and August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (directed by George C. Wolfe and produced by Denzel Washington).
Washington and Boseman were first introduced when Washington paid for Boseman and several other Howard University students to continue their theater studies by taking a theater course in Oxford.
The Howard University-educated thespian was the star of Marvel’s Black Panther franchise, bringing to life one of the most important and revered superheroes in American film history.
Directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther was the first superhero movie to be nominated for a best picture Oscar and one of the highest-grossing films of all time, bringing in over $1billion.
Black Panther became more than a movie, morphing into a celebration of Black culture, art, history, achievement and intellect in addition to highlighting the Black cultural presence and influence in comic book culture.
Boseman was no stranger to playing iconic characters, bursting onto the big screen in 2013’s 42 as baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in major league baseball. Boseman went on to star as Soul legend James Brown in 2014’s Get On Up and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall in 2017. Boseman brought a quiet dignity and powerful presence to these characters, with performances reflective of the weight they hold in world culture.
Prior to breaking into film, Boseman lived in New York, teaching at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture while cutting his teeth on small roles on shows like Law & Order, Third Watch, ER and Lie to Me, eventually landing recurring roles on Lincoln Heights and Persons Unknown.
It was Boseman’s turn as Jackie Robinson that cemented his film star status and his performance as T’Challa in Marvel’s Black Panther, that catapulted him to superstardom. Black Panther grew beyond the big screen and became a cultural phenomenon. Boseman, who hails from Anderson South Carolina, gave moviegoers a king who was stoic, powerful and captivating as he led warriors with love, intellect and strategy as they fought to maintain control of their powerful, technologically superior nation, ripe for poaching by outsiders.
Much like the Gullah culture of his home state, Boseman was able to effortlessly blend African and American culture to help create a fantastical world on screen that was inspirational and recognizable. Boseman led an all-star cast including Angela Bassett, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Sterling Brown, Winston Duke and Academy award-winning actors Lupita Nyong’o and Forrest Whitaker, holding his own and fortifying his status as a Hollywood superstar.
Boseman, who also appeared as T’Challa/Black Panther in Avengers Infinity War and Avengers: End Game, starred in and produced the films 21 Bridges, Marshall and Message from the King, which he served as Executive Producer. At the time of his death, Boseman was in pre-production as producer on Yasuke, a film about the world’s first Black Samurai in which Boseman was slated to star.
In addition to acting and producing, Boseman was also an activist and philanthropist supporting social justice initiatives like Michelle Obama’s #WhenWeAllVote and celebrating fellow Bison Kamala Harris’ history making selection as the Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee for the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, which was his last Twitter post before his death.
In 2018, the wonderkind performer delivered a powerful commencement speech at Howard University encouraging students to rise above traumatic experiences and applauding their campus activism. Boseman, who was mentored by fellow Howard University alum Phylicia Rashad and helped financially by Denzel Washington as a student donated $100,000 to #Change4Change, which supports HBCUs in November 2019.
NNPA Newswire Culture and Entertainment Editor
The world is reeling from the loss of iconic actor Chadwick Boseman, who died Friday, August 28, after losing a private battle to colon cancer. Boseman died at home surrounded by his family.
A statement released by his family said Boseman was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in 2016 and the disease progressed to stage 4. Boseman endured countless surgeries and treatments as he continued to make films from Marshall (directed by Reginald Hudlin), Da 5 Bloods (directed by Spike Lee) and August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (directed by George C. Wolfe and produced by Denzel Washington).
Washington and Boseman were first introduced when Washington paid for Boseman and several other Howard University students to continue their theater studies by taking a theater course in Oxford.
The Howard University-educated thespian was the star of Marvel’s Black Panther franchise, bringing to life one of the most important and revered superheroes in American film history.
Directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther was the first superhero movie to be nominated for a best picture Oscar and one of the highest-grossing films of all time, bringing in over $1billion.
Black Panther became more than a movie, morphing into a celebration of Black culture, art, history, achievement and intellect in addition to highlighting the Black cultural presence and influence in comic book culture.
Boseman was no stranger to playing iconic characters, bursting onto the big screen in 2013’s 42 as baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in major league baseball. Boseman went on to star as Soul legend James Brown in 2014’s Get On Up and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall in 2017. Boseman brought a quiet dignity and powerful presence to these characters, with performances reflective of the weight they hold in world culture.
Prior to breaking into film, Boseman lived in New York, teaching at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture while cutting his teeth on small roles on shows like Law & Order, Third Watch, ER and Lie to Me, eventually landing recurring roles on Lincoln Heights and Persons Unknown.
It was Boseman’s turn as Jackie Robinson that cemented his film star status and his performance as T’Challa in Marvel’s Black Panther, that catapulted him to superstardom. Black Panther grew beyond the big screen and became a cultural phenomenon. Boseman, who hails from Anderson South Carolina, gave moviegoers a king who was stoic, powerful and captivating as he led warriors with love, intellect and strategy as they fought to maintain control of their powerful, technologically superior nation, ripe for poaching by outsiders.
Much like the Gullah culture of his home state, Boseman was able to effortlessly blend African and American culture to help create a fantastical world on screen that was inspirational and recognizable. Boseman led an all-star cast including Angela Bassett, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Sterling Brown, Winston Duke and Academy award-winning actors Lupita Nyong’o and Forrest Whitaker, holding his own and fortifying his status as a Hollywood superstar.
Boseman, who also appeared as T’Challa/Black Panther in Avengers Infinity War and Avengers: End Game, starred in and produced the films 21 Bridges, Marshall and Message from the King, which he served as Executive Producer. At the time of his death, Boseman was in pre-production as producer on Yasuke, a film about the world’s first Black Samurai in which Boseman was slated to star.
In addition to acting and producing, Boseman was also an activist and philanthropist supporting social justice initiatives like Michelle Obama’s #WhenWeAllVote and celebrating fellow Bison Kamala Harris’ history making selection as the Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee for the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, which was his last Twitter post before his death.
In 2018, the wonderkind performer delivered a powerful commencement speech at Howard University encouraging students to rise above traumatic experiences and applauding their campus activism. Boseman, who was mentored by fellow Howard University alum Phylicia Rashad and helped financially by Denzel Washington as a student donated $100,000 to #Change4Change, which supports HBCUs in November 2019.
#NNPA BlackPress
IN MEMORIAM: In a Shock to Many, Actor Chadwick Boseman Dies at 43
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Boseman passed away on the anniversary of so many historic moments in African American history. August 28 is the anniversary Jackie Robinson discussed his future in the big leagues with Branch Rickey in 1945. August 28th is also the anniversary of the March on Washington in 1963.
By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor
At
only age 43, Chadwick Boseman, appeared to be at start of an acting
career that was almost certain to eclipse many others. Boseman played
several legendary figures in Black history including Jackie Robinson,
James Brown and Thurgood Marshall.
But late on August 28, news that Chadwick Boseman had passed away from colon cancer was a shock to many. Boseman’s death is one of a number in 2020 that mark a year overloaded in surprising news and shocking benchmarks.
Boseman passed away on the anniversary of so many historic moments in African American history. August
28 is the anniversary Jackie Robinson discussed his future in the big
leagues with Branch Rickey in 1945. August 28th is also the anniversary
of the March on Washington in 1963.
So
far in 2020, John Lewis, Joseph Lowery, Earl Graves, Bill Withers and
C.T. Vivian have passed away. But the death of Boseman was a particular
shock because of his age and the anticipation that he was destined to be
one of the greatest actors of is generation.
In
what may be his most famous role, Boseman played King T’Challa in Black
Panther. The film shattered box office records in Feb. 2018 and grossed
over $1.3 billion worldwide. Praise for his work has flooded in on
social media.
“You
never truly know what the people around you might be going through –
treat them with kindness and cherish every minute you have together.
RIP,” wrote actress Halle Berry.
“Chadwick…
…no words to express my devastation of losing you. Your talent, your
spirit, your heart, your authenticity… …It was an honor working beside
you, getting to know you… …Rest well prince…May flights of angels sing
thee to thy heavenly rest. I love you!” actress Viola Davis wrote.
“We
are devastated by the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman. 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,” a
message read from the twitter account of Major League Baseball.
“Such a brutal loss. RIP, Chadwick,” wrote actor Ryan Reynolds on social media.
“The true power of Chadwick Boseman was
bigger than anything we saw on screen. From the Black Panther to Jackie
Robinson, he inspired generations and showed them they can be anything
they want — even superheroes. Jill and I are praying for his loved ones
at this difficult time,” wrote former Vice President Joe Biden who is
the Democratic nominee for President.
Boseman graduated from Howard University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in directing.
Bozeman’s
last two films were 21 Bridges (2019) and Da 5 Bloods (2020). The actor
was born in Anderson, South Carolina. Boseman is survived by his wife
Taylor Simone Ledward.
Lauren
Victoria Burke is an independent journalist for NNPA and the host of
the podcast BURKEFILE. She is also a political strategist as Principal
of Win Digital Media LLC. She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke
ADDITIONAL LINKS:
Chadwick Boseman's wife and the love of his life
https://www.essence.com/love/chadwick-boseman-wife-taylor-simone-ledwards-love-story/#567476
Click here for additional article on Chadwick Boseman's illness and his love for children
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/black-panther-chadwick-boseman-says-this-was-more-important-than-making-a-billion-dollars.html/
Michael B. Jordan's Pledge to the Memory of Chadwick Boseman:
https://www.eonline.com/amp/news/1183274/michael-b-jordan-honors-chadwick-boseman-in-heartfelt-tribute
Chadwick Boseman's African Roots/Africa' Reaction to his Passing:
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/09/01/908471876/africans-mourn-chadwick-boseman-a-great-tree-has-fallen
IT'S GOING TO TAKE US ALL, INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY TO PROCESS THIS - BUT THE INFINITE - GOD THE LIVING SPIRIT ALMIGHTY - ALWAYS HAS THE FINAL SAY. AND I THINK HE SAID TO CHADWICK
"Well Done, My good and faithful servant."
In our heart of hearts we knew he was an Angel all along.
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
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