‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ has finally hit theaters, and the film and world continue to mourn the loss of the late Chadwick Boseman.
Now comes some news that may bring smiles and tears to the faces of his fans, supporters, friends, and family.
Boseman’s original Black Panther costume from the original 2018 film ‘Black Panther’ will be displayed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C. starting next year.
The costume will be part of their new exhibition entitled “Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures” which will debut on March 24, 2023. The museum will also display other objects from the film set, like an original shooting script signed by director Ryan Coogler and producer Kevin Feige.
The exhibit will showcase Black stories of empowerment and social equality, featuring Afrofuturistic art, music, activism and more. The National Museum of African American History and Culture is located in downtown D.C. next to the Washington Monument.
“Black Panther illustrates the progression of blacks in film, an industry that in the past has overlooked Blacks, or regulated them to flat, one-dimensional and marginalized figures. The film, like the museum, provides a fuller story of Black culture and identity,” the NMAAHC stated in a press release.
Black Panther was the first superhero of African descent to appear in mainstream American comics, and the character was based upon the 1960s civil rights group the Black Panthers.
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The news of the costume coming to D.C. is only fitting, as fans know that Boseman attended Howard University in Northwest, D.C., where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in directing in 2000. He later delivered their commencement speech in 2018, just two years before his untimely death due to colon cancer.
Howard has since renamed the College of Fine Arts after him and offers scholarships funded by Netflix in his honor.
Check out the official announcement below.
On March 24, 2023, our museum will debut a major, thought-provoking exhibition, “Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures.”
One of the highlights of this new exhibition will be the #BlackPanther hero costume worn by the late Chadwick Boseman, pictured here. #NMAAHCFutures pic.twitter.com/F3egfe3kGw
— Smithsonian NMAAHC (@NMAAHC) November 9, 2022
