Chadwick Boseman‘s life will be remembered with a memorial in his hometown.
The Black Panther star tragically died at 43 after a secret four-year battle with colon cancer, and now Terence Roberts, the mayor of Anderson, South Carolina, has revealed the plans to honor the late actor.
A remembrance service will be held on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020, at an outdoor amphitheater in the town, with speeches from a pastor, a former high school classmate of Boseman’s, and the mayor himself will also pay tribute to the late Hollywood actor.
There will be a screening of Black Panther, and locals have submitted Boseman-themed artwork to be displayed.
In order to comply with social distancing, the amphitheater, which usually holds 10,000 people, will be open to only 5,000 people on a first-come, first-served basis.
Meanwhile, a petition has been started for a statue of Boseman to be erected.
The petition on Change.org reads: “Throughout his career, he has brought to life such historical figures as James Brown, Jackie Robinson, and Thurgood Marshall. However, most notably he was known for playing T’Challa, the King of Wakanda, also known as the Black Panther. This film, along with his entire body of work, has uplifted and inspired many Black Americans, especially during the turbulent times our nation is going through. In addition to his illustrious film career, Mr. Boseman made it a mission to give back to his community.
“Not only with his appearances at his alma mater Howard University but financially as well. Upon the release of his film Black Panther, Mr. Boseman took it upon himself to rent out a theater in his hometown of Anderson, South Carolina, to show the film for free, so that young boys and girls could be inspired by the film without the financial barrier. Mr. Boseman is without question an American treasure and his accolades go on and on.”
Roberts remembered Boseman and offered details about this week’s planned memorial in Anderson during an interview below.
