It’s been about five days since we became aware of the devastating news that Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman passed. As communities around the world grapple with the sad news, people who knew Chadwick intimately, but who did not know about his diagnosis, have been writing tributes to him .
Chadwick’s fellow Howard alum, vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, connected with Chadwick during a Families Belong Together – Freedom for Immigrants March at Los Angeles City Hall in June 2018. She tweeted several tributes to him over the weekend. She called Chadwick “brilliant, kind, and humble.” Chadwick covers People this week and here are a few excerpts including VP nominee Kamala’s tribute:
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris recalls the actor “was so kind and thoughtful.”
“He was a listener and he was humble — but he walked with such magnificence,” she tells PEOPLE of her fellow Howard University alum. “Chadwick inspired people to see something in themselves, to see something in each other. [He] had the ability to see what can be unburdened by what has been. In that way, his legacy is strong and we will be talking about and thinking about Chadwick for generations to come.”
During lockdown amid the coronavirus, Boseman worked on a voice note as his character T’Challa for a young boy with cancer on behalf of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Nate Moore, an executive producer on Black Panther, tells PEOPLE Boseman “cared so intently” of making sure the voice recording was perfect.
“Hindsight will tell us that Chad felt that way because he too was battling a disease,” says Moore. “But I don’t think that’s true. I think that’s just who he was as a man.”
I am still gutted by the passing of Chadwick Boseman. Selfishly part of that is because I was looking forward to him reprising his role as Black Panther. I cannot see another male actor taking on the mantel. On the other hand, with a passing such as his, you realize how incredibly fragile life is and that all you have is this moment.
I don’t think we will ever get over this death. Every one I know, no matter their race, have been hit hard by his death. My biggest heartbreak is for his loved ones and the children who lost their hero. What I will say is, like Harry and Meghan, Chadwick has been a beautiful example of giving to others as an act of service. I don’t think I could have given as he did while battling such a disease, I am not that graceful, nor do I advocate for it. But I do know he lived life fully, thoughtfully and with gratitude. That is something I feel we can all strive for.
He will definitely be missed. It’s as if a void was created by his death like when Prince and so many others died. But like Ryan Coogler said in his tribute, “Chadwick is an ancestor now,” and what a powerful ancestor to have watching over us. May you rest in power, kumkani. You will be missed.
Heartbroken. My friend and fellow Bison Chadwick Boseman was brilliant, kind, learned, and humble. He left too early but his life made a difference. Sending my sincere condolences to his family. pic.twitter.com/C5xGkUi9oZ
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 29, 2020
Black Panther was more than a movie—it was a moment of collective celebration. And that’s because of Chadwick. pic.twitter.com/4aptPVyGlX
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 31, 2020
During his commencement speech at our beloved Howard, my friend Chadwick Boseman said, "press on with pride and press on with purpose.”
In his name, let’s keep fighting. pic.twitter.com/HU8Q6yQaJ4
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 29, 2020
We have been reminiscing about this hero, and what he meant to us. We remembered this moment below, when Kamala was just beaming with pride about her friend and fellow Bison and the glorious achievement Black Panther represented. pic.twitter.com/gS7WVQTzeN
— Doug Emhoff (@DouglasEmhoff) August 29, 2020
This was Chadwick’s last tweet:
YES @KamalaHarris! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾#WhenWeAllVote #Vote2020 pic.twitter.com/iOU3duBAcA
— Chadwick Boseman (@chadwickboseman) August 11, 2020
I watched Endgame yesterday and when he came through the portal on the left I couldn’t stop crying. Has anyone listened to the poem that Letitia Wright put on her Instagram? It’s incredible.
Yes. I feel like the stars of Black Panther were hit very hard. It took Michael B Jordan days as well to be able to write about it. Lupita still hasn’t, I believe. They must be so brokenhearted. I feel terrible.
Chadwick Boseman and Michael B Jordan go back a long, long way. They both played the Reggie Porter Montgomery character on All My Children early in their careers.
I can’t read stories of him or see pictures without crying. This is so tough, he meant so much and to know he was sick for most of the time I saw him on screen is just heartbreaking.
The loss of a wonderful young man like this is bad enough in isolation, but the loss is sharpened when contrasted with all the terrible people left to roam and damage the earth.
@Betsy this is what I’ve been thinking about almost since I learned of Chadwick’s passing. How can he, someone so obviously decent be taken away so soon when such horror of human beings keeping going? I sometimes can get on board with there is a bigger plan that I’m just not privy to, but sometimes like in this case it’s hard to believe that.
I have been thoroughly humbled and inspired by his incredible, quiet strength and determination to live life to its fullest. Last Saturday, I pledged to follow his example and stop putting off things I have been avoiding. Am on Day 5 of no cigarettes or alcohol. It isn’t pleasant (particularly the quitting smoking part) and every time I feel like giving in, I think of Chadwick. He has become my North Star.
You’ve got this, Mich!
🙂 I do!
I am year 2 into no cigarettes and I am rooting for you!!!! You got this!! My biggest help was getting a quit tracking app on my phone, it is very motivating. Take it easy and keep at it!
Oh! That’s a good idea. I actually have an app on my phone from the last time I tried. Opening and updating it now!
I’m almost 24 years out from quitting smoking. It gets easier. I promise.
You’ve got this!!!
you’ve got this. it will be tough but you are tougher.
You can do it!! I quit smoking 6 weeks ago and am considering quitting alcohol soon too.
Good luck to you.
The word tragedy is thrown around a lot but I think this genuinely fits the definition. A man who was great at his work, genuinely kind, caring and compassionate lost his life at 43 when he should have had so many more years to enjoy, love, work and do all the wonderful things he did in the time he did have. Then you add in the work that he did and the roles he brought to life and it just multiplies, Black Panther genuinely changed things in the world of movies, its a powerful film that proved the point loud and clear that you don’t need to have white people in a film for it to be a spectacular success. I can’t believe that took so long but I’m so happy it finally happened.
That commencement speech was everything. He was a beautiful soul, and proud sensitive courageous intelligent talented righteous. He made his mark on us. I’ve read all the posts about Chadwick, but this is the one that is bringing it home to me that he is really gone. Rest In Peace.
#ChadwickForever
I am so sad, and I wish I had another Black Panther to love and watch with the children in my life. I just planned on growing old with Chadwick on my screens.
Selfishly I wish he had told us he was going, so he could have seen how much we love him. So he could have gone, knowing how much we wanted him to stay.
Ive just accepted im going to cry every time a tribute comes up. There was the abc one where his fellow actors in Marvel paid him tribute from jeremy renner to sebastian stan to scarlett… (no black panther actors, i think they are just still in shock to be honest), i just cried. Letitias poetic tribute on insta, Michael B Jordan repeatedly writing on his IG – i wish we had more time – … theres a thinkpiece telling people not to force a statement out of Lupita too…which i agree with…everything has me crying.
One time he liked my comment on IG. He was shouting 21 Bridges and he posted a vid. I spent that day on a high and kept going back to confirm it was really his verified account that had liked my comment haha. Thank you Chadwick. I miss u so. Rest easy my boo.