Read on Twitter
I cried with my dad for 20 minutes. Its surreal to lose someone who played the hero of our life-time. There will never be a hero better than Black Panther for me. He shined brighter than the rest, because he gave what no other super hero had.
T'Challa's empire is unapologetically Black, and it allowed the rest of us to drip Blackness. I remember the costumes, and the cookouts, and the gatherings around this movie. It was a moment. Fiftyeleven heroes in we finally got a lead!
If you were there at the early screenings, the premier, or opening weekend, than you remember. You remember the feeling that life would never be the same, because he wore the cowl, because the children had new idols that represented a small piece of everyone's motherland.
Right in the front of all of it stood Chadwick Boseman. Yeah, the accents were goofy, but we were gonna find something to clown. We are us, after all.
But the story of fallen brothers and betrayal, the women who's agency couldn't be questioned who debated one another over matters of state, the new king fighting the wrongs his father left behind and leading a community out of the shaddows and into the brave new world...
It's a fantasy epic, filled with magic; a gift for an entire people. And Chadwick stood in front of it all.
He wasn't T'Challa, but he brought him to life. Americans love an icon. We cannot help but to turn them into idols. We've hung our crowns on those who depart us too soon; frequently erasing their humanity before turning them into symbols of tragedy, eternal beauty, or mystery.
It's the feeling of hollowness left by their larger than life projections on our society. The devil may care musician, the stunning beauty, & the genius made us believe we could reach new heights. We needed them to show us the way. When they did, their success became our success.
I saw a veteran weep because the Black hero he read about in the trenches now lived on screen. And I saw little boys everywhere squeal with delight as they pulled their Black Panther helmets on.
I don't want to forget that Chadwick Boseman was a man who loved and was loved, who strove to reach the heights of his career, who lived a life outside of his job.
But I can't forget how he gave joy, and opportunity, and visibility to so many. I'm so greatful for this performance. I am forever changed by it. I think we all are.
Rest Well, Brother Boseman.
Rest Well, Brother Boseman.
