Chadwick Boseman’s acting resume could be your black history class
By: Shamontiel L. Vaughn
Tags: Chadwick Boseman, Movies, Education, Black History, American History

Chadwick Boseman’s acting resume could be your black history class

Virtual teachers, here’s your opportunity to teach what history books leave out

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons

There is something comforting (to me anyway) about seeing a list of celebs and everyday fans type the phrase “Rest in power, King” in reference to the late actor Chadwick Boseman. It is fitting to read Angela Bassett’s post referring to him as a “sweet prince” (obviously considering her “husband” was King T’Chaka). I also co-sign with the daughter of Dr. King referring to Boseman as a “brilliant, influential human.” He is indeed all of the above.

While teachers are still struggling to decide whether to return to physical schools or continue with virtual teaching during the COVID-19 health crisis, Boseman is quite possibly one of the most (if not the most) beneficial reference in anybody’s history class. On Insecure’s HBO, the character Tiffany said, “We have to do better. We can’t just leave it all up to Chadwick Boseman.”

True. We can’t. But we can damn sure enjoy Boseman representing some of America’s legends.

From a child actor on “All My Children” to a few other TV and movie shorts, he grew up and found his groove. And with that, his fans got a flood of memorable and historical films.

“42”: In 2013, we were introduced to Boseman as Jackie Robinson, the first African-American professional baseball player who broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier. Robinson started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Until that point, professional black ball players were only in the Negro Leagues. (Usually celebrated on June 15, Jackie Robinson Day was moved to Aug. 28 by the MLB due to COVID-19; this was the same day that Boseman died.)

“Get On Up”: In 2014, we weren’t quite sure if Boseman could pull off James Brown’s dance moves, but somehow he managed to be believable. While many music artists have huge accomplishments, very few are dope enough to outshine pop star Michael Jackson onstage. Additionally, “Please Please Please” sold 3 million copies in the late ’50s, along with approximately 100 singles and nearly 50 albums on the best-seller charts. His concert album “Live at the Apollo” stayed on the charts for 66 weeks, and “Pure Dynamite! Live at the Royal” charted for 22 weeks.

“Gods of Egypt”: In 2016, Boseman played Thoth, an Egyptian Djhuty, a god of the moon, of reckoning, of learning and of writing. According to Brittanica, he was “held to be the inventor of writing, the creator of languages, the scribe, interpreter and adviser of the gods.”

“Black Panther” (also in “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers” End Game”): From 2016 to 2019, Boseman played T’Challa, more popularly known as the Black Panther. First appearing in July 1966’s “Fantastic Four” (no. 52) by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby (Marvel Comics), this character’s story — predating the Black Panther Party (and briefly renamed the Black Leopard to avoid confusion) — was the first to have an all-black cast in mainstream superhero comics. The stories didn’t shy away from controversy, including taking on the Ku Klux Klan.

“Marshall”: In 2017, Boseman played Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court justice who argued a record-breaking 32 cases before the Supreme Court. He won 29 of them and served 24 years as a Supreme Court justice, focusing on individual and civil rights cases that helped minorities.

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”: This year, his role as Levee was set to be seen by the public. August Wilson, the Pulitzer Price recipient of “Fences” and “The Piano Lesson,” was the creator of this play. “Fences” also won a Tony award. In addition to Boseman being linked to Wilson, there is an additional link: Denzel Washington. Washington (and actress Phylicia Rashad), who starred in “Fences,” was a silent contributor who paid for a young Boseman — and several of his Howard University classmates — to attend an acting program at England’s Oxford University.

When introducing Washington for the 47th AFI Life Achievement Award, Boseman said, “It is an honor to now know you, to learn from you.” Boseman’s fans can say something similar: We may not have all met him (or know him personally), but we certainly enjoyed “meeting” him through iconic roles and learning from his work. I hope history instructors will do the same for the next generation of students — and adults who need to know the influential people who this actor portrayed.