It's been almost four days since we lost Chadwick Boseman. Social media have been replete with tributes to the actor who brought Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and Thurgood Marshall, among others to life in brilliant performances.
I rarely watch movies, but I saw him in 42, when he depicted Robinson and Get On Up, where he portrayed Brown. In both cases, he was, as Major League Baseball described him in their own tribute "transcendent" in both. Even as a non-expert, I could see how great he was.
His best-known performance was of T'Challa, The Black Panther, and his leading role in the film gave so many people a superhero who looked like them, who embodied strength, brilliance, values, and was someone to aspire to.
I may not be a young Black kid, an actor who shared scenes with him, or even an avid moviegoer, but I'm still reeling in grief I'm still trying to process. More than merely being an actor, Boseman was someone who by many accounts was humble at the height of fame, generous with his time, and supportive of fellow actors and others looking to make their mark on the world.
The fact that he shot so many scenes as he battled cancer and continued to remain a powerful, positive force for so many in the wake of a disease that robbed him of weight, and, eventually, his life contributed greatly. The fact that no one outside his family knew how badly he was being weakened was a testament to his strength of spirit and his courage. As a cancer survivor myself, knowing only a small fraction of what he must have gone through and the real uncertainty of life or death makes it even more difficult to take.
The fact that this devastating loss happened during a year replete with tragedy and crisis only served to underscore how crushing this loss was to all the people who were impressed by his talents and his humanity.
In her reminder to people that mourning a celebrity doesn't mean a lack of consciousness after Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant died in January, Bernice King, daughter of civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. tweeted that we are all on a short journey in this world, "reconciling life and death," before finishing her tweet with words we all should follow: "Love well."
Chadwick Aaron Boseman may no longer be able to shine his light on a movie screen, but he'll live on in our memories of his incredible performances and in the example he left of courage, of humility, of humanity.
Wakanda forever.
