After losing his fight with colon cancer, the 43 year old actor, Chadwick Boseman, passed away. He will always be remembered as the dynamite character he portrayed. Arguably, his most iconic character was King T’Challa from Black Panther (hyperlink) who served as a role model for thousands of kids in the world. His cancer diagnosis and treatment was a well-kept secret and Boseman still managed to give us incredible characters and life-changing performances. The death of Bose illuminates why representation matters in the media, especially to the younger generation.
Along with playing T’Challa, Boseman was most known for this portrayal of real-life historical figures. He played Thurgood Marshall and Jackie Robinson, both trailblazers in their perspective fields. While most “Oscar” worthy movies that featured a Black actor mainly focused on the subject of slavery, Boseman’s movies brought inspiration to groups of young BIPOC children. These characters taught people that they can be what they inspire to be, and work hard for their dreams. The character that served the most inspiration was his performances as King T’Challa.
Black Panther in itself was a step forward into the direction of positive representation in media for BIPOC. It is praised as being the first superhero movie with the majority of characters being played by Black actors. This movie empowered Black actors and culture along with strong representations of womxn. Instead of tokenizing Black actors and actresses, “Black Panther” created strong, complex characters that will empower generations of young BIPOC. Boseman’s movies indicate the need for large-scale representation of BIPOC and why young people must see themselves on screen. Boseman’s funeral was held in his hometown of Anderson County South Carolina on September 3rd at Welfare Baptist Church. Although Chadwick Boseman’s death was a tragedy, the legacy he created will live on forever.
Photos: Her Campus Media Library