Chadwick Boseman and Netflix had struck up a solid working relationship, with the actor starring in and executive producing 2016 revenge thriller Message from the King, while he lent support in Spike Lee’s incendiary war drama Da 5 Bloods and delivered an Academy Award nominated performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which sadly turned out to be his final live-action acting credit.
Back in May, the Howard University graduate was honored when the re-established College of Fine Arts was renamed in his honor, and now the streaming service are partnering with the campus to establish the $5.4 million Chadwick A. Boseman Memorial Scholarship, which will provide students with four-year funding to cover the full cost of their tuition.
As per Variety, the recipients will be those deemed in need of financial assistance who “exemplify exceptional skills in the arts” and “exemplify Boseman’s values, specifically demonstrating a drive for excellence, leadership, respect, empathy and passion”. The world may have lost the Black Panther star far too soon, but his legacy is already being felt.
Boseman knew a thing or two about having benefactors step in, with Denzel Washington famously paying for the future Hollywood heavyweight to study overseas when he couldn’t afford it himself. It’s a great move from Netflix, one that’s set to benefit Howard University for generations to come.
