Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther, died on August 28, 2020. The cause of his unfortunate passing was due to colon cancer. Boseman was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016; however, he kept his battle with cancer secret from the rest of the world. 

Earlier this year, Boseman uploaded a video to his Instagram in which he lost a significant amount of weight. In the comments for the post, fans were worried about his health, nevertheless there were a couple comments pointing out that he must have lost weight because he was on drugs. Only after his death did people realize the real cause of the weight loss. 

Chadwick was an inspiration, especially to the African American community. He showed them that men of color can be heroes. Through social media, friends and fans shared their condolences with Boseman’s family, commenting, “I didn't realize how much that movie affected me, until I saw how affected I was with his passing. And how symbolic he was in this beautiful movie about black power. And a different look at Africa. It was a beautiful performance.” Another fan also wrote, “I was very depressed about it. I was sad. I love the ‘Black Panther.’ Wakanda forever.” “Wakanda forever” is a phrase that is used in the Black Panther movie to signify Black excellence. 

Chadwick Boseman will forever be missed. May he rest in power. 

By: Ellie Park