Fans of the late Chadwick Boseman have joined forces to have a statue of the “Black Panther” star replace an existing Confederate monument that was defaced this summer in the actor’s hometown of Anderson, South Carolina.
Two online petitions have been launched in the effort, Anderson Independent Mail reported. As of Thursday, the petitions have gained more than 100,000 electronic signatures combined.
“Mr. Boseman is without question an American treasure and his accolades go on and on. It is only fitting that his work is honored in the same place that birthed him,” one of the online petitions says.
Boseman, 43, who played the role of King T’Challa in the 2018 epic superhero movie, died Friday following a four-year battle with colon cancer.
The Confederate monument in question has prompted conversation between supporters and opponents alike, including Mayor Terence Roberts, the city’s first Black mayor, who said he would work with the Anderson County Council to “quickly” get people together to talk about how to move forward.
“It’s totally against our fabric, our way of life in this community and what we believe in,” Roberts said, the Independent Mail reported.
