The Confederate monument is unfortunately staying (for now), but Chadwick Boseman is getting his statue.
In the days following the Black Panther star’s death, a petition was created to honor Boseman’s impact by erecting a statue in his hometown of Anderson, South Carolina. “Upon the release of his film Black Panther, Mr. Boseman took it upon himself to rent out a theatre in his home town 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,” it read. “It is only fitting that his work is honored in the same place that birthed him.”
TMZ contacted Mayor Terence Roberts’ office in Anderson and was told that “the city is enthusiastically working on a permanent public tribute to honor the late actor. We’re told the City has already contacted an artist and they’re brainstorming ideas on how best to honor the hometown hero who played legendary roles. We’re told the statue will include a mix of sculpture with mural and/or art elements.” As for tearing down the city’s shameful Confederate monument, that’s not the mayor’s call — it’s protected by the state’s Heritage Act, which “states that no historical monument can altered or moved without a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the General Assembly.”
A screening of Black Panther was held on Thursday night in Anderson, where one resident told the Independent Mail, “I have been crying, crying, crying. I’m here to show support to the family. A great young Black man, I came to celebrate him.”
Chadwick Boseman is remembered by his hometown, on a stage with a big screen playing Black Panther and by James Brown’s daughter along with local artwork, a new scholarship and art endowment, as hundreds come from miles away to celebrate his life.https://t.co/X7wNJkeggT
— Mike Ellis (@MikeEllis_AIM) September 4, 2020
(Via TMZ)
Source: https://uproxx.com/movies/chadwick-boseman-hometown-statue/