It’s literally the end of summer 2020 folks and I’m full of random thoughts right now. Though I did get to savor some Popeyes last Saturday with the Wife while enjoying the FA Community Shield win against Liverpool, it was overshadowed by the death of actor / hero / legend Chadwick Boseman the Friday before. I was literally just checking the BBC on my phone late Friday night after hearing rumblings of it on social media, and I was utterly stunned. Him of all people, who had so much going for him, had to die now?
The fact that Chadwick did so much in the last few years while battling colon cancer is a testament to his perseverance and character. I mean, look at what he’s accomplished as the Black Panther. He is literally the face of a new pop culture renaissance with the African diaspora at the forefront and to lose him at a time like this, when the world needs heroes now more than ever, is just soul-shattering.
If you’re ever in need of finding a good tribute to Chadwick and his amazing legacy, I’d recommend Black Panther and Creed director Ryan Coogler’s touching words about the man, and how Chad of all people had the utmost faith in what he was doing as T’Challa. It’s an amazing read that illustrates their bond and shared vision of Black Panther and what the film meant to audiences the world over.
And if it isn’t the death of Chad that’s wrecked me, then it’s the horrors brewing in Kenosha, Wisconsin that make me bury my head in my hands. Not only was another unarmed African-american male shot by police, but the man’s now paralyzed from the waist down (and was handcuffed to his bed at one point). Furthermore, there was a shit-for-brains vigilante from my home state who thought he could fuck with people while thinking he was a hero and now he’s been charged with five felonies and a misdemeanor. It’s just a mountain of horrors here in America and no amount of mental gymnastics can absolve how Conservative America continues to exacerbate these tensions that now define the nation. I mean, if masking up is divided by politics, then I guess protests against police brutality and unwarranted use of deadly force is too.
I think that’s all I have to say right now as August 2020 comes to a close. I’ll be back to muse on other things in the next few months with some happier posts I hope. Until then, be safe, and be excellent to each other.
Naika's Lounge 