Paying Tribute to A King
“He made everyone feel loved, heard and seen. He played great, iconic roles because he possessed inside of himself that connection to greatness to be able to so richly bring them to life. He had a heroic spirit, and marched to the beat of his own drum; hence his excellence as an artist and the incredible courage and determination as he faced life’s challenges; while still guiding us all,” Gurira said. “He was zen and sweet and funny (with the very best laugh), attentive, and truly, truly, good. I can’t even wrap my mind around this loss. A loss resonating in my own heart as well as around the globe. The children he inspired, my heart aches for them, to lose their hero just as they finally found him. I am so thankful to have taken the Black Panther journey with him. To have known him, spent time in his light and leadership and to call him forever a friend.”
Do you recall the scene in Black Panther where T’Challa dies (at least we think so) and the heartbreak that everyone feels at losing him? But he comes back to life to defeat his enemy and reclaim his throne. This past Friday, the world stood still at the devastating news of the passing of Chadwick Boseman. I honestly wish it was all a part of the movie where he comes back to life but unfortunately, it’s not.
Chadwck’s death hit a lot of people hard because of what his epic role in Black Panther, has come to mean to black people. Let’s face it, Black Panther created a movement; it empowered people of color. It crashed all the stereotypes and changed the narrative that you can’t have a hit movie with an entire black cast; and went on to become the top-grossing superhero film of all time in North America.
Leading this narrative was Chadwick ‘T’Challa’, the King of Wakanda. His death is devastating, heartbreaking, upsetting, and inspiring all at the same time. Chadwick had this quiet, calm demeanor about him. In true kingly fashion, he worked so hard while privately battling cancer. He didn’t seek pity or any kind of special treatment from the world. It completely baffles my mind that not only did he keep his diagnosis private, but since his diagnosis in 2016, this man did TEN movies between surgeries and chemotherapy. In what world does that make any sense? That is an insane number of movies even for someone in good health. Maybe he knew that he had very little time left and wanted to leave a legacy through his best works.
Chadwick’s death is a prime example of why we need to be kind to people. In the months leading to his death, a lot of people noticed that he had lost a lot of weight. Some were making fun of him, others thought maybe he was preparing for a new role. One of his costars couldn’t him but shed tears while recounting a story about the time when his wife asked him what he thought of Chadwick, and he told her that he thought he was ‘precious’ and maybe the success of Black Panther got to his head. He was saying this because after shooting long hours in 100-degree weather, Chadwick would have someone on set to massage his back and his feet, his girlfriend (now wife) was always there holding his hand. He was crying recounting this story because he now realized that it’s because he was sick, and they were just taking care of him. He felt so bad for even having those thoughts about him.
That’s just it, you never know what someone is going through, so you have to make a concerted effort to be kind to people. You have no idea why they do the things that they are doing.
Chadwick was an alumnus at Howard University and 2018, he was asked to deliver the commencement speech and here’s a short excerpt of his powerful speech. You can watch it the full clip here.
“Sometimes you have to feel the pain and sting of defeat, to activate the real passion and purpose that God predestined inside of you. God says in Jeremiah, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. This day, when you have reached the hilltop and you are deciding on next jobs, next steps, careers, further education…you’d rather find purpose than a job or career. Purpose crosses disciplines; it is an essential element of you. It is the reason you are on this planet at this particular time in history. Your very existence is wrapped up in the things you are here to fulfill. Whatever you choose for a career path, remember – the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose…when God has something for you, it doesn’t matter who stands against it. God will push someone that’s holding you back away from the door and he will put someone there that will open it for you!”
If you’d like to watch movies that Chadwick has starred in, here’s a list:
2008 – The Express: The Ernie Davis Story
2012 – The Kill Hole
2013 – 42
2014 – Draft Day
2016 – Gods of Egypt
2016 – Captain America: Civil War
2016 – Message from the King
2017 – Marshall
2018 – Black Panther
2018 - Avengers: Infinity War
2019 – Avengers; Endgame
2019 – 21 Bridges
2020 – Da 5 Bloods
TBA – Ma Raineys Black Bottom
About my outfit:
Previously, I did a post with the puff sleeve dress from Femme Luxe Finery. You can see it here. I wanted to show you guys how to restyle it by wearing a skirt over it, so here you go!
Thank you for stopping by!
