Letters | How Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman inspired me

The death of this actor is another blow in these months where we have seen political chaos, health crises and economic stagnation. The news caused me to reflect on the ephemerality of life itself. The presence of death all around us these days has motivated me to treasure my loved ones.

When I was younger, I was obsessed with the Marvel character Black Panther; he was the only one I deemed worthy of admiration. The meaning and significance of the character grew as I got older, especially when Boseman took on the role of Black Panther and breathed new life into the character, changing what it stood for.

According to Bosesman’s colleagues and family, he was brimming with passion and dreams, and was also loving and kind. Boseman even visited the White House in the Obama years to cheer children up and he was praised by the former president.

Moreover, although he had been diagnosed with cancer before the filming of Black Panther, he gave his all, continuing to make films while going through chemotherapy and surgery. Why? Because he knew that people’s dreams depended on it. I admire how he leaned into life.