Even a year after his death, Chadwick Boseman continues to leave an impression on the world. Much like his Marvel character Black Panther, Boseman creating change that will last for generations. Netflix came together with others to honor his legacy in a full-circle moment.
Netflix, in conjunction with Chadwick Boseman’s alma mater Howard University, have come together to start an undergraduate scholarship. The scholarship, which ic named the Chadwick A. Boseman Memorial Scholarship, will give incoming College of Fine Arts students a full four-year ride during their time in the program. As the scholarship’s first sponsor, Netflix was honored to carry on Boseman’s impact on the arts for years to come. Netflix CCO Ted Sarandos couldn’t help but gush over the MCU star’s lasting contributions to entertainment. Sarandos said the following about helping the next game-changers:
It is with enormous pride that we announce our endowment of the Chadwick A. Boseman Memorial Scholarship. While he was taken from us too soon, his spirit is with us always in his work and the good that he has inspired. He always spoke of his time at Howard and the positive way it shaped his life and career. Now, we will have the opportunity to give many future superheroes a chance to experience the same. We are grateful to Simone and Chadwick’s whole family and our partners at Howard University for making this possible.
As a notable alumnus, Chadwick Boseman attended Howard University from 1996 to 2000 before continuing his studies at Oxford. According to Netflix, four scholarships will be given out across different disciplines.
As the Netflix CEO pointed out, the streamer and Howard University aren’t the only ones supporting the scholarship, with Chadwick Boseman’s family having some influence over its creation. The late actor’s widow, Simone Ledward-Boseman, wanted to help financially challenged students obtain their dreams. She expressed her gratitude to the streamer as well as the university for working to maintaining the Black Panther star’s legacy. Howard President Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick echoed Ledward-Boseman’s words by speaking on Boseman’s contributions to his alma mater.
The newly announced scholarship isn’t the first time Chadwick Boseman’s dedication to Howard University has come up. Boseman’s friend and fellow alum Anthony Mackie shared how they met on campus. Even Vice President Kamala Harris spoke her close friendship with her fellow Howard alum. Besides the personal stories and scholarship, the university acknowledged Boseman’s commitment by renaming the College of Fine Arts to the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts. The late actor will continue to influence the campus for decades to come.
While Chadwick Boseman is no longer physically present, his influence will continue to shape the entertainment industry as more actors, directors, producers, etc. come from Howard University. Of course, Boseman’s performances will continue to live on screens for years to come. His last two performances in Marvel’s What If..? are currently available on Disney+.
