May we be humbled, reminded of our mortality as well as our limitless power as we say goodbye to one of our beloved visionaries, Chadwick Boseman. His contributions were critical to the shifting forward of the Global Black Diaspora, and he is mourned and missed by us all over the world. His role in Black Panther gave us a crisp vision of liberty and love for our people, and opened a significant portal for the actualization of our liberation dreams.
We at noirpress send our deepest condolences to his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, and all his family and friends, and we hold him in the light of joyful remembrance and deep gratitude for the gifts he shared so selflessly with the world.
I’ve compiled some of the best resources on Chadwick’s life, quotes, and films as well as reactions from our community below.
In his own words
“I was born with some Killmonger in me, and I have learned T’Challa throughout my studies. All African Americans, unless they have some direct connection, have been severed from that past. It’s very difficult as an African American to connect at some points directly to Africa. I have made that part of my search in my life.”
After completing his DNA tracing, Chadwick publicly identified with his ancestral lineage in Yorubaland and in Sierra Leone.
It is our urgent responsibility to manifest the world that Chadwick helped us to see, a world in which Black self-love and Black power are ubiquitous. We want to take this opportunity to remind you that your physical, emotional and spiritual health is your most important contribution to the world. Please invest time daily in nurturing your wellness in all the possible ways.
Tributes
Message from his family
“It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last four years as it progressed to stage IV. A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.” –
Family statement
Denzel Washington
“He was a gentle soul and a brilliant artist, who will stay with us for eternity through his iconic performances,” said Denzel Washington, who funded a scholarship Boseman used to study theater at the British American Drama Academy in Oxford and produced Boseman’s last film, yet to be released on Netflix, Ma Rainey.
Viola Davis
Viola Davis, who acted alongside Boseman in “Get On Up” and the upcoming August Wilson adaptation, tweeted “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!”
Tributes from our Community
Ayodele Saint-Louis, Reproductive Justice Advocate
“I salute you for always portraying black excellence and intentionally taking roles that uplifted black men and the various contributions Africans made to any culture. I am Chadwick and I will gladly sacrifice to leave behind gems even if it means staying on this Earth for a shorter span. As Lola says, “eat your greens,” so that you can have 7 generations to come witness the fruits of your labor. Chadwick is a testament of mind over matter. Wake up and live!”
Dolapo Oyeneye, A voice for women’s empowerment.
“Live a life of purpose on purpose. Chadwick was a light giver. In all the movies he portrayed, especially Da 5 Bloods with Spike Lee. He gave hope with his portrayal of the people he embodied, he was a class act. I’m gutted at his death, however his life is a seed, it’s a reminder that we are on earth for a reason. Chadwick is resting now. He gave his all while bleeding and battling with his own mortality and health challenges, yet his purpose fueled him to be a hope giver. I will miss him tremendously.”
More Resources
New York Times list of his biggest movies and where to stream them.
After appearing regularly on series television in one-off and recurring roles, his big-screen breakthrough as Jackie Robinson in the 2013 biopic “42” started a remarkable run of iconic Black characters — real ones like Robinson, Thurgood Marshall and James Brown, and imaginary ones like his best-known, Black Panther.
The Revolutionary Power Of Black Panther by Jamil Smith who says,
“Writing this story changed my life and career, and I will be forever grateful to both Chadwick Boseman and Ryan Coogler for it.”
Boston Globe piece on Boseman’s career and the tributes poured in for him.
The cancer was there when his character T’Challa visited the ancestors’ “astral plane” in poignant scenes from the Oscar-nominated “Black Panther,” there when he first became a producer on the action thriller “21 Bridges,” and there last summer when he shot an adaptation of a play by his hero August Wilson. It was there when he played a radical Black leader — seen only in flashbacks and visions — whose death is mourned by Vietnam War comrades-in-arms in Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods.”
In Rememberance
It is our urgent responsibility to manifest the world that Chadwick helped us to see, a world in which Black self-love and Black power are ubiquitous. We want to take this opportunity to remind you that your physical, emotional and spiritual health is your most important contribution to the world. Please invest time daily in nurturing your wellness in all the possible ways.
Check out our Instagram stories for more curated reactions to this great loss and let us know how you’re feeling in the comments.
Wakanda now, Wakanda Forever.
