Chadwick Boseman was destined for greatness from the start. In the late 1990s, Howard University served as a launching pad for his career.
Humble Beginnings
According to NBC News, Boseman sought and graduated with a bachelor of arts in directing in 2000. His involvement at the historic Black university included writing the play “Hieroglyphic Graffiti,” among other things.
Phylicia Rashad taught Boseman at Howard University and was aware of his abilities.
“The year I worked at Howard University is when I first met Chadwick. He was thoughtful. Now that I reflect about it, he was constantly researching.
He was exact, thorough, and meticulous in his planning and performance, and that needed thought.
He was usually exceedingly respectful, polite, and courteous. That has to do with his parents and how he was raised,” Rashad told Rolling Stone.
Rashad saw a lot of potential in Boseman. She then advised him to sign up for a summer acting course at Oxford’s British Academy of Dramatic Acting, where he would be joined by eight other theatre majors. However, a large number of the students were unable to cover the tuition.
The Denzel Washington Effect
Fortunately, Rashad contacted her old friend Denzel Washington, who secretly paid the tuition for the whole class. He had no idea that his act of kindness would give Boseman the spotlight and create an iconic Hollywood legacy.
Denzel also helped pay for nine Howard University theatre majors who had been accepted to the British Academy of Dramatic Acting’s summer acting program in Oxford.
In a speech at an American Film Institute ceremony when Washington was honored with a lifetime achievement award in June 2019, Boseman said, “Imagine receiving the letter that your tuition for that summer was paid for and that your benefactor was none other than the dopest actor on the planet.”
Legacy
The financial support encouraged Boseman to pursue acting more seriously, which fortunately led to major roles like those of Jackie Robinson in “42,” James Brown in “Get on Up,” Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall,” and T’Challa in “Black Panther,” which for many kids was their first exposure to a Black superhero on screen.
“I am certain that there are similar stories in churches, theaters, and boys and girls organizations around the nation, where I know you also have motivated and inspired people.
More than silver and gold is an offering from a sage and a king. It is a seed of trust and a seed of optimism.
Without Denzel Washington, there wouldn’t be a Black Panther, and not just because of me but also because of the rest of my cast.
“That generation stands on your shoulders,” Boseman said to Washington in his speech.”
Sadly, Boseman lost his fight with colon cancer in 2020 after a four-year battle, but his reputation as one of our generation’s most productive performers will live on forever.
