To be young, gifted and black — Chadwick Boseman

Roxann Lewis
2 min readAug 31, 2020

--

Chadwick Boseman

The world was left in shock on August 28, 2020 after hearing the news of the passing of Chadwick Boseman, who battled colon cancer for 4 years. The beloved actor starred in historical and representational roles such as Black Panther, Thurgood Marshall and James Brown to name a few.

Many actors have passed on. So, why are we so saddened by Chadwick’s passing?

Well, he was so young, had more to give, he was powerful and captivating on and off camera. He had a big heart and acted selflessly as he quietly pushed through his personal battle to deliver another work of art. Chadwick created characters on screen that resonated with many of us. They were Black cultural representations that highlighted the strength, resilience, creativity, intelligence and limitless talent that many of us, as black people, possess. We saw ourselves in Chadwick. He brought to life our stories, made us feel proud of our heritage and showed us what is possible. Boseman once said: “To be young, gifted and black .. there is a screen for us.” A platform of Inclusion. He stamped his mark on this generation and made room for those to come.

Off camera, Boseman was just as impactful. He spoke on equality and social justice and displayed true class, grace, determination and empathy throughout his life. He is an example of using your God given gifts and platform for good. He was a beacon of ‘you are capable for extraordinary things’.

You were young, gifted and black. Thank you for pouring into us, Chadwick. Rest in Power.

‘We have a responsibility to the world to be a beacon of light.’ — Chadwick Boseman.

#roxannflewis #blackpower #chadwickboseman #black #personalbranding #marketing #marketing #talent #blacklivesmatter #gifted #actor

--

--

Roxann Lewis

I write about developing a growth mindset, self improvement, relationships and personal branding.