On Saturday, the NAACP held its annual Image Awards, and the late Chadwick Boseman was honored.
For his role in Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Boseman received the award for outstanding actor in a motion picture. Boseman’s wife, Simone Ledward Boseman, accepted the award on his behalf.
“As always, he would give all honor and glory to the most high God,” Simone began. “He would thank his mom and dad, and he would give honor to the ancestors as we now honor him. Thank you, NAACP Image Awards, for always giving him his flowers. He was an uncommon artist and an even more uncommon person. But the manner in which we lost him is not uncommon at all. Not in our community.”
Boseman passed away last summer after a 4-year secret battle with colon cancer.
“Black people in this country are 20 percent more likely to be diagnosed with colon cancer and 40 percent more likely to die from it. The age for routine screening has recently been lowered to 45, so if you are 45 years of age or older, please get screened. Don’t put it off any longer. Please get screened,” she urged. “This disease is beatable if you catch it in its early stages, so you don’t have any time to waste even if you have no family history and even if you think nothing is wrong. Know the signs, know the science, listen to your body.” she continued.
The 52nd NAACP Awards also granted Boseman the award for outstanding supporting actor.
