A growing number of people support a petition to rename a state Confederate monument after the late actor Chadwick Boseman, who played Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The petition, started by organizer DeAndre Weaver on Change.org, seeks to change a statue paying tribute to Confederate veterans in Anderson County, South Carolina, which was built in 1902 by citizens, with a memorial of the actor who died on Friday after a four-year battle with colon cancer.
“Mr. Boseman is a hero to this nation but more importantly a hero to the town of Anderson. His legacy was one of excellence and equality. As fellow citizens go about their day, they should have a face that sees all people as equal,” the petition reads. “Upon the removal of a monument to the past I can think of no better person than Mr. Chadwick Boseman as a monument to the future.”
Boseman, who was born in the South Carolina county, became a household name after playing Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War in 2016. In 2017, he portrayed Thurgood Marshall while he was a lawyer, a man who would become the first black Supreme Court justice. Earlier, he played Jackie Robinson, the first black American to play on a Major League Baseball team, in the sports drama 42.
Weaver said replacing the statue would honor the actor’s legacy in his hometown.
“It is only natural that his hometown honors what he did,” the petition reads. “There is no need for political controversy in this decision.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, the petition earned over 34,500 signatures toward its goal of 50,000.
Boseman shot to stardom in 2018 as King T’Challa in Marvel’s Black Panther. On opening weekend, the film grossed over $200 million and went on to earn over $1.3 billion worldwide. He continued to portray the hero in Avengers: Infinity War in 2018 and Avengers: Endgame in 2019. Infinity War became one of the top five highest-grossing films, but Endgame eventually became the highest-grossing film of all time.
The actor died on Friday at home beside his wife and family.
“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther,” a statement released on Boseman’s social media reads.
