My Mind Speaks.... DEATH OF A KING

KING T’CHALLA OUR FIRST BLACK HERO

28 August 2020, a day that left me and many others around the world shocked. I’m not one to cry or make a fuss about celebrities, but waking up to the news of Chadwick Boseman’s passing had me in tears, I was surprised about how much I actually cared and really loved him as an actor who had produced one of the best work I’ve seen. The entire day my chest felt heavy, a part of me wished that this was just another hoax and someone out there made a mistake. Chadwick wasn’t just another actor, this man inspired change, he was the reason why we filled up cinema’s to see someone Black being portrayed, not just as a king, but A SUPER HERO - yes an entire black and strong man, a hero!! For once, we didn’t see a black man as a gangster, a rapist, abuser or criminal because our blackness is seen as a weapon and associated with everything bad and wrong in this world. Hollywood movies hardly ever portrays us as good upstanding citizens we are constantly reminded that who we are and what we are is not enough. I fully understand why Boseman was even sceptical of a career in Hollywood due to his color but ended up becoming the face of a revolution with his role as the Black Panther. 

"Our kids cannot be what they do not see’’

Chadwick Boseman, a man that has made history and ignited a much-needed change in the film industry. His role as king T’Challa gave him a status that was never before acclaimed to any superhero. The movie came 14th on the top grossing movies of all time list, but the success of the film went beyond box office grosses. It is difficult to overstate the impact that Black Panther and Boseman had on the larger audience. It gave new cultural identity that the Black population could connect with. He became the FIRST BLACK SUPERHERO that black kids could look up to. The statement Wakanda Forever from the movie became more of a solidarity symbol for the Black community than a movie catchphrase. 

Just a few days ago I watched a video from 2018 on social media where he was talking about the impact that Black Panther made in society, when he became emotional and mentioned two kids who were diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away before the movie was released. The kids were trying to hold on to their lives to watch the film, and the actor talks about how he was surprised how much of an impact the movie had on both the kids and on the society as a whole. The whole video becomes a lot more emotional when we find out that he was also affected with cancer at that point. The fact that he was able to keep it quiet right up until the end shows that he was surrounded by people that were loyal to him and respected his privacy. 

It’s sad to think about how mean people were on social media about his appearance when he started becoming weak. It came to a point where he started deleting these posts. It is evident now that his weak appearances over the last few months were due to the cancer and its subsequent treatment. The lesson here is that people need to be kind to another, because you never know what battles someone is fighting. It suddenly seems miraculous that he managed to complete so many films within the short duration, while quietly undergoing many surgeries and chemotherapy sessions. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey Black Bottom, 21 Bridges and several more- were all filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. I’m blown away by his courage, he continued to live his life to the fullest and with a purpose. Doing what he loved, leaving his mark. Black Panther 2 has big shoes to fill. Although I don’t think anyone could replace him, however I do hope that they continue the movie without removing his character. 

 ‘’It was the honour of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther’’ said the family in a statement.

Thank you for inspiring a generation of Black super heroes and teaching young black men to defeat the status quo, we listened when you said ‘’Wakanda (black men and women) will no longer watch from the shadows. We can not. We must not. We will work to be an example of how we, as brothers and sisters on this earth, should treat each other. Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another, as if we were one single tribe.’’

In my culture, death is not the end. It’s more of a stepping-off point. You reach out with both hands, and Bast and Sekhmet, they lead you into the green veld where you can run forever." - King T'Challa 

Phumla ngoxolo Kumkani T’Challa; Nkosi yethu.