Why Chadwick Boseman Will "Rest in Power" by Denise Meridith
On the evening of August 28, 2020, the world was rocked by a tweet. It was not a tweet by an agitated president or other world leader or Fortune 500 CEO. The tweet, which announced the death of an actor, who had only been famous for a few years, became the most viewed tweet in history. This quake in the Twitter universe was the result of a perfect storm: the three shocks of someone dying too young, the person being someone who loved humanity and was loved by the world in return, and the confusion over how/why, in a Hollywood culture that feasts on gossip and rumors, no one even knew he was sick. Like so many unanticipated happenings in 2020, the death of Chadwick Boseman shocked the world into consciousness about issues that have long existed, but rarely explored.
Boseman burst onto the screen in The Black Panther, which was not really expected to do much. Yes, it was a Marvel film...but the 18th one. It was released the end of January 2018, not at the end of the year with expected Oscar winners or during the summer, when most anticipated blockbusters are scheduled. The movie, itself, was innovative (probably considered "risky" according to some white people). It involved an almost all Black cast, and Wakanda, an African nation, was the most technically superior country in the world. The myth that had always been circulating in Hollywood was that "Black" films and actors would not do well in foreign countries. At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, a panel of Black filmmakers recalled how Disney did not even have action figures (merchandising is an important, profit-making feature of most science fiction/fantasy films) ready to release.
Interviews with the actors, including Boseman, showed that they understood Black Panther was more than different; it was special. The movie stunned naysayers and doubters.. By March 2018, Black Panther receipts had topped $1.1 billion worldwide (including $81 million in China) and become the 18th highest global grossing film of all time.
While Marvel films were known for dealing with serious issues like teenage angst in Spider Man or bullying in The X-Men, Black Panther explored many, bigger issues. Could a murderous villain actually have good intentions and merit sympathy? Should the military be loyal to the man or to the country? Is isolationism vs globalism best for a nation? What are the impacts of abandonment on children? Can women be effective in combat or as head scientists? The movie featured features, clothing, and dialects and nods to many different African countries and cultures.
For African-Americans, the movie was inspiring in many other ways. There were so many subtle lines, gestures and moments (e.g., Okoye throwing off the wig or Killmonger's put down of the know-it-all museum docent) that a white audience in Idaho might not notice but would elicit cheers from Black New York City moviegoers. King T'Challa's sly smile, after the white legislator sarcastically asks what a group of farmers (today, the "s***hole comment" comes to mind) could possibly contribute to the world, was a final moment of pride and victory for, not only for the King, but for real people of color throughout the world.
Boseman played the role with a combination of intelligence, sophistication, class, compassion and power. It was a stereotype-breaking performance, reminiscent of Sidney Poitier's in In the Heat of the Night. He said they were most moved to see children of all races, everywhere, including Asia countries, dressed as the characters in the movie. Boseman's insight, broad smile, and good humor made him a popular guest on talk shows and one of the few African-Americans to have been a guest host on Saturday Night Live.
Fans, fellow actors, directors, crew members, community leaders, athletes, politicians, all loved Boseman. Since few outside his family knew he was suffering from terminal cancer for years, there was no sympathy involved, just admiration for his acting skills and appreciation of the work he did in communities. In his short career, he convincingly played African-American icons, such as Thurgood Marshall and James Brown. That Boseman died on Jackie Robinson Day, the pandemic-delayed anniversary of the signing of the first Black player in Major League Baseball, added to the sadness. He had portrayed Robinson in the film 42.
Though it adds to a long list of tragedies this year and is one loss compared to the almost 200,000 who have died from COVID-19, it is not really Chadwick Boseman's death, but his life and power to enlighten the world, which should be celebrated.