Chadwick Boseman; August 29 2020

People don’t automatically think of the ways they see themselves in media. When you’re white, you don’t watch a movie or read a book intending to connect only with white characters. When you’re straight, you assume the boy will end up with the girl. When you’re able-bodied, you don’t notice that there aren’t any disabled characters in the cast.

You are your own normal. There’s a default character template in your head, and that character is basically You. When they differ from you, that’s when you notice.

That’s why representation matters. Imagine picking up a new piece of media and wanting to enjoy it, but you pause and notice every single character. Not a one is like you. So you turn to a different television show, or a new book, and there’s still no one like you.

Really quickly, you start to wonder why. Are you boring? Are you broken? Are you somehow just... wrong?

That’s why we need diverse content. Anyone who says otherwise is actively telling people that they’re wrong for existing. We need movies like Black Panther, stories about powerful and intelligent and quirky Black characters. We need to see stories like that for everyone, and celebrate them when they do get the spotlight.

Rest in peace, Chadwick Boseman. Your contributions to media continue to make the world better, for every child who sees themselves in the characters you played.