Actor, writer, and director Chadwick Boseman of 42, Get On Up, and Black Panther, died at the age of 43 on Friday after a quiet battle with cancer. News of his death was met with grief and an outpouring of support.
Chadwick came to the White House to work with kids when he was playing Jackie Robinson. You could tell right away that he was blessed. To be young, gifted, and Black; to use that power to give them heroes to look up to; to do it all while in pain – what a use of his years. https://t.co/KazXV1e7l7
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 29, 2020
On Saturday, President Barack Obama tweeted his memories of Boseman, including a photo of the two at the White House. Obama celebrated Boseman’s life, saying:
‘Chadwick came to the White House to work with kids when he was playing Jackie Robinson. You could tell right away that he was blessed. To be young, gifted, and Black; to use that power to give them heroes to look up to; to do it all while in pain – what a use of his years.’
While he was well known for playing iconic characters like Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall, Boseman also did activist work even in his last days. Some of his final social media posts included his support of organizations raising money for personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 crisis, pointing out the disparity in communities hit by the virus, which has impacted Americans of color at a higher rate than white Americans. He worked to promote the Black Lives Matter movement, speaking out against police brutality and white supremacy. He supported student activism at HBCU’s and encouraged young people to vote. Boseman was more than an actor. He spent his years on earth fighting for a better world for those who would come after him.
Twitter spoke in full support of the tragically lost Chadwick Boseman. Read some of their comments below:
