In Memory of Chadwick Boseman (1976 - 2020)

Hey Chadwick,

You may not know who I am. We never met before, but somehow your abrupt departure from this world is the second most shocking of this year after Kobe Bryant’s. You never saw my face, but I am one of the millions of people on this Earth who has seen yours at a place where dreams come true: the cinema. When I first met you 3 years ago, you were best known as the Black Panther, a royal prince/king from the land of Wakanda who exhibited honor, composure, and perseverance. As much as King T’Challa and Black Panther were fictional, however, your impact was palpable. You displayed the same noble qualities as a real human being. You advocated for social causes that many communities appreciated. And most importantly, you inspired a new age of cultural heroes when we needed them the most.

I followed your career with great interest since that very day I watched your Black Panther movie in the opening weekend. I remember it like yesterday, sitting beside my date for Valentine’s at Cineplex and relishing an awkward moment or two together while every frame on the big screen entranced our eyes. For the rest of the evening, I thought of nothing else but your movie. I recognized that this was a beginning of a real cultural shift in Hollywood and you were at its helm. It was not just a movie. In fact, you and the Black community made a resounding statement, one that billions heard loud and clear. Not everyone embraced your message at the time, but deep in your heart, I think that you genuinely believed in the importance of activisms in Hollywood regardless of how divisive, controversial or belittled it is. In the end, what mattered is that you truly stuck to your own respectable values with the utmost humility.

As an Asian myself, I always wondered if there would ever be an Asian superhero in the near future. I suppose it was only timely that Marvel announced a stand-alone movie for Shang-Chi, played by Simu Liu, an Asian who also excitingly happens to be an alumni from my university. There is a certain euphoria with beholding an authentic hero who possesses the same ethnicity and cultural background. No matter how minor this might be to others, you have shown with Black Panther that to some tight-knit communities, the symbolism behind a fictional character has impact that surpasses the limits of a TV screen. In that sense, I am eternally grateful for your influence on ethnic representation in cinema.

I wish you told me about it. I wish everyone who watched your career elevate year after year stood by your side as you battled colon cancer. I have no doubt that the support would have been overwhelmingly positive. Alas, now we have reached a point where our collective grief is immeasurable. Your passing took me by great surprise; it was like losing a friend. To me, you are not JUST Black Panther. You took on many other characters, but more importantly you were the friend I never met but cared about. I am certain that keeping your diagnosis a secret was for the better. While you had many more prolific years ahead of you, I hope the last few were spent with success, passion, and affection. As you once said, “In my culture, death is not the end.” Live on with strength, gentle soul. You will be forever remembered in our memories and childhood.

Wakanda forever,

A fan