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2020 SPECIAL SESSION I

20201143D
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 602
Offered September 13, 2020
Celebrating the life of Chadwick Aaron Boseman.
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Patron-- Cole, J.G.
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WHEREAS, Chadwick Aaron Boseman, an iconic American actor, passionate activist, and beloved son and husband, died on August 28, 2020; and

WHEREAS, Chadwick Boseman was born in Anderson, South Carolina, to Carolyn and Leroy Boseman and graduated from Howard University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in directing; and

WHEREAS, Chadwick Boseman worked as a television actor in the early 2000s and experienced instances of racism and prejudice that continue to oppress African Americans throughout the United States; and

WHEREAS, Chadwick Boseman continued his career in film and was cast in the 2013 major motion picture 42 as Jackie Robinson, the African American baseball player who broke down racial barriers to join the formerly segregated Brooklyn Dodgers of Major League Baseball; and

WHEREAS, Chadwick Boseman portrayed another influential historical figure in 2017, when he starred in a biographical drama film about Thurgood Marshall, the first African American justice of the Supreme Court of the United States; and

WHEREAS, Chadwick Boseman went on to play T’Challa, king and hero of Marvel Comics’ fictional African nation of Wakanda, in the 2018 film Black Panther; and

WHEREAS, in his role as T’Challa, who was the first superhero of African descent to appear in mainstream American comic books in the 1960s, Chadwick Boseman served as an inspiration to young African Americans and fans of all races and backgrounds through his display of leadership, honor, heroism, determination, and strength; and

WHEREAS, Chadwick Boseman helped to further normalize African American heroes and characters in film and other media, and their prominence in such roles serves as a guiding light to people of color pursuing careers in acting, in leadership positions, or in community activism; and

WHEREAS, Chadwick Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016 and courageously battled the disease for four years; he performed in some of his most well-known roles during that period, giving hope to fellow cancer patients that their lives need not be defined by the disease; and

WHEREAS, Chadwick Boseman will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward; his family; his castmates; and people from around the world who were inspired by his life; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of Chadwick Aaron Boseman, a hero to African American youths and many people throughout the world who were profoundly influenced by his performances; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Chadwick Aaron Boseman as an expression of the House of Delegates’ respect for his memory.