Chadwick Boseman’s death leaves saddening mark on rough 2020
LOS ANGELES (AP):
KOBE BRYANT. Representative John Lewis. And now, Chadwick Boseman.
So far, 2020 has been marred with bad news and tragedy with the sudden deaths of several popular Black icons, including Bryant, Lewis and, recently, Boseman, who died on Friday. All three were viewed as leaders in their respective fields of sports, politics and film – places where people, particularly in the Black community, have often looked for inspiration during a year of racial tension and protests against the police brutality of unarmed Black people.
But for many, the news of losing another major figure such as Boseman is taking a toll. The actor, who starred in the blockbuster superhero Marvel film
Black Panther, shockingly died at the age of 43 in his home in Los Angeles after he privately battled colon cancer for four years.
“These are pillars in our community,” Rev Al Sharpton said. “In times of instability, you depend on pillars. It’s bad enough when there’s a storm outside and you hear the lightning and thunder. It gets worse when the pillars that you’re building and standing on (are) shaking. It’s like they’re chipping away at our foundation. The very building is shaking down, because the things that undergird and protect us from the storms are being removed.”
PRIVATE BATTLE
Sharpton called Boseman an important pillar that humanised several Black historical trailblazers in his roles – including colour-line breaking baseball star Jackie Robinson, legendary singer James Brown, and the first African American US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Boseman’s family said he endured “countless surgeries and chemotherapy” while portraying King T’Challa of Wakanda in the Oscar-nominated Black Panther, a film that proved a person of colour could lead in a successful superhero film.
“For him to pass at this time when we are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and have all of these attacks by law enforcement, and him being the symbol bringing us to Wakanda, it’s just a blow,” Sharpton said. “To hear that our superhero who projected a positive light was now gone, it was a gut blow.”
Boseman was elevated to a stage that many Black actors don’t get the chance to occupy, said Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. And his ability to be “transcendent” on that stage brought a comic book character to life for many in the Black community.
“Even though we knew that it was like a fictional story, it actually felt real. It actually felt like we finally had our Black superhero and nobody could touch us. So to lose that, it’s sad in our community,” James said, lamenting on the loss of “the Black Panther and the Black Mamba in the same year”.
In January, Bryant died in a helicopter crash involving eight others, including his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. Lewis died in July after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year.
Other notable deaths this year include actress Naya Rivera, civil rights leader C.T. Vivian, and music executive Andre Harrell.