Many were overcome with grief as they heard the news of Chadwick Boseman passing. Boseman lost his private battle to stage 4 colon cancer on Aug. 28, 2020 at the young age of 43. 

Despite the surgeries and chemotherapy sessions that come with the disease, he continued filming movies and inspiring those around him. Boseman was a hero on the screen as well as in real life. 

“He left too early but his life made a difference,” said Kamala Harris who connected with Boseman over their beliefs of social injustice issues.

Boseman was best known for his role as Black Panther. He made appearances in Marshall, Avengers: End Game, Captain America: Civil War, 21 Bridges and many more Marvel and historical films. He also portrayed Jackie Robinson in the movie 42, which introduced him as an actor. 

Boseman won multiple awards during his acting career; one being the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Movie Star and a Screen Actors Guild Award with the cast of Black Panther. 

“Chadwick Boseman is an incredible actor, but more importantly, he was a role model to a generation of young people,” said Earth Sciences teacher Edward Thutt.

As time consuming as acting and cancer treatments are, Boseman always made time to give back to his community and help others. In 2018, Boseman visited sick children at St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital to lift these young kids’ spirits while battling his own disease.

 He was a huge supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and participated in many charity events, one being the “Black Panther Challenge,” which helped underprivileged African American children go see the film Black Panther for encouragement.

“I personally think he was a real life hero because a hero is someone who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities,” said junior Desiree Warner. “Chadwick fought for equality, ending racism, at-risk children, and so much more. He used his platform to bring awareness and shine light.”

Overall, Boseman made a positive impact on everyone he came into contact with. Even though he has passed, his actions and everything he stood for will not be forgotten. 

“Sometimes you need to get knocked down before you can really figure out what your fight is,” Boseman said.