Aug. 28th, Chadwick Boseman passed away due to colon cancer. To say Boseman had an impact on the current generation would be an oversimplification. From his importance as a role model to his strength as a true fighter, he was no ordinary actor. 

Before his debut as Black Panther in the third Captain America film, there were no leading African-American superheroes that didn’t reside in the R-rated genre. Before 2016, the only black led superhero films were the Blade films which proved far too violent and mature to do children any good. 

“Chadwick Boseman was the first black superhero that many of us looked up to or were aware of,” senior Devin Dalton said. “He impacted the world alongside his amazing castmates. It was a cultural reset for us”

After being diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer in 2016, Boseman never brought it up,  which left his condition unknown to the general public. 

“To know that he was struggling and nobody knew a thing was heartbreaking yet still an inspiration to African-Americans, to children, to everyone,” junior Andre Strong said. 

Boseman’s last tweet was congratulating fellow Howard University grad Kamala Harris on being the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate. After his death, memoriams poured in. 

“Chadwick Boseman made not only an impact on me and my life, but on countless others as well. He will forever be missed, but will never be forgotten,” junior Katy Limoges said. 

Boseman had a public service on Sept. 4 in Anderson, South Carolina. The city announced  plans to build a permanent art memorial to commemorate him. Boseman’s last role will be his posthumous performance in the upcoming Netflix original film, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which will release Nov. 27.