Howard University Renaming College Of Fine Arts After Chadwick Boseman

In pure positivity news…

After already announcing legendary actress Phylicia Rashad as dean of the recently reestablished College of Fine Arts, Howard University is sharing another major announcement.

President Wayne A. Frederick confirmed that the College of Fine Arts will now be known as the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts. The rename is especially meaningful because the actor graduated from Howard University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in directing and because Phylicia Rashad was his mentor.

President Frederick was friends with the actor and before his death, he was working alongside Chadwick to develop programs for the students at Howard, which Frederick pledged to put in place.

Source: NurPhoto / Getty

Mission accomplished!

“When Chadwick Boseman returned to campus in 2018 to serve as our commencement speaker, he called Howard a magical place. During his visit, I announced our plans to re-establish the College of Fine Arts and he was filled with ideas and plans to support the effort in a powerful way,” said President Frederick via a press release.

“Chadwick’s love for Howard University was sincere, and although he did not live to see those plans through to fruition, it is my honor to ensure his legacy lives on through the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts with the support of his wife and the Chadwick Boseman Foundation. I’m also elated to have the support of The Walt Disney Company’s Executive Chairman Bob Iger, who has graciously volunteered to lead the fundraising effort to build a state-of-the art facility and endowment for the college.”

Chadwick’s wife Taylor Simone Ledward also spoke on the honor being bestowed upon her late husband…

“I am extremely pleased that Howard University has chosen to honor my husband in this way and elated that Ms. Rashad has accepted the role as Dean,” said Boseman’s wife, Simone Ledward-Boseman via press release. “Chad was a very proud Bison — both Howard and Ms. Rashad played integral roles in his journey as an artist. The re-establishment of the College of Fine Arts brings this part of his story full-circle and ensures that his legacy will continue to inspire young storytellers for years to come.”

and Chadwick’s family offered their thanks to the University as well.

“We would like to thank President Wayne A. I. Fredrick and the Howard University Board of Trustees for honoring our beloved Chad with the renaming of the reestablished College of Fine Arts. We would also like to thank Bob Iger for spearheading the fundraising efforts of this development,” said The Boseman Family via press release.  “Chad fought to preserve the College of Fine Arts during his matriculation at Howard and remained dedicated to the fight throughout his career, and he would be overjoyed by this development. His time at Howard University helped shape both the man and the artist that he became, committed to truth, integrity, and a determination to transform the world through the power of storytelling. We are confident that under the dynamic leadership of his former professor and mentor the indomitable Phylicia Rashad that the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts will inspire artistic scholars for many generations.”

A press release notes that Walt Disney Company’s Executive Chairman Robert A. Iger will personally lead fundraising efforts in honor of Chadwick, a “cherished member of the Disney/Marvel family,” to build a new, state-of-the-art facility to house the college and an endowment for the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts.

This news is awesome all around.

Kudos to The Mecca for honoring their alumnus in such a special way!