Howard University has renamed its College of Fine Arts after alumni Chadwick Boseman. Boseman, who died of colon cancer last year at the age of 43, earned a bachelor of arts in directing from Howard in 2000.
According to the institution, he was instrumental in keeping the College of Fine Arts from being incorporated into the broader College of Arts & Sciences.
“Yesterday, the letters were installed over the now official Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts,” the school said in a tweet Friday. “An icon in his own right who has left an immeasurable legacy for the next generation. Thank you Mr. Boseman.”
In 2018, the university announced plans to reestablish the school.
“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,” Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick said in a statement earlier this year.
His family applauded the building’s renaming.
“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,” Boseman’s family said in a statement in May. “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.”
Actress and singer Phylicia Rashad is the dean of the reestablished College of Fine Arts. She mentored Boseman when he was a student at the university.
The Black Panther film was produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. “Through his tremendous example he inspired millions to overcome adversity, dream big and reach beyond the status quo,” Iger said in a statement. “And this college named in his honor … will provide opportunities for future generations of artists to follow in his footsteps and pursue their dreams.”