Last Thursday, The Yard came alive with movement and music as students dressed in white filled the space, their voices and laughter carrying through the late-summer evening. Paintings and portraits lined the front of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts, transforming it into an outdoor gallery as artists prepared to honor a name that carries deep meaning at Howard: Chadwick A. Boseman.
On Aug. 28, the College of Fine Arts Council, in partnership with Take6 Productions, a multi-media production team, hosted Chadwick A. Boseman Day: Owning Our Legacy. The celebration of art featured a student gallery where artists introduced their work, spirited strolls from Greek and Fine Arts organizations, a student talent showcase with Broadway belts and play renditions, and an exclusive look at Take6 Productions’ short film, Who’s Next?.
The night celebrated Boseman’s life while spotlighting Howard students’ artistry. Paige Piper, a senior dance major from Atlanta, Georgia, and Take6 Productions’ external chief communications officer, shared why she attended.
“I’m here to celebrate Chadwick, have pride about the greatness of art and be a part of a community,” said Piper.
Actor and mentor Malik Yoba, who has supported Take6 Productions for the past few years, emceed the evening. Between lighthearted moments, he framed the night as an opportunity for growth.
“For some people, this is going to be a seed that’s planted. For others, it’s affirmation of something they already believe in,” said Yoba. “ I think it’s always just important that we create space to celebrate who we are. And the theme about owning your legacy, I think, is the most important thing.”
The evening opened with Greek and Fine Arts organizations taking their turns strolling in synchronized lines, their chants carrying across the crowd.
A student rendition of “Killing Me Softly” by The Refugees invited the audience to join in, arms raised and swaying to the melody. Actors stepped forward, reciting a scene from the play, Thoughts of a Colored Man by Keenan Scott II, earning rumbling applause.
Each performance shifted from display to connection, as the audience cheered, clapped, and welcomed every artist on stage.
“You kind of see it with every single student, everything that they put together, just how important he was and how important it is for us to be here to continue that legacy for him, for us, for our family, for his family, for everything,” said Miles Barnes, a sophomore graphic design major from Suffolk, Virginia.
Backstage, the mood was different, less spectacle but more motion. Members of the Fine Arts Council moved quickly between cues, checking scripts, whispering confirmations and signaling performers into place. Noel Best, a junior musical theater major from Houston, Texas, by way of Cape Town, South Africa and vice president of the council, described the process as both exhausting and rewarding.
“I wrote the script literally last night, making sure cues happened, the talent was in place and there was a constant flow of communication to make the event seamless,” said Best.
Her reflection revealed a larger truth: students were learning to juggle many roles at once. Boseman himself left Howard as a directing major before becoming an actor recognized worldwide. Best saw parallels in her own experience.
“For me, it’s like I’m typically seen on the stage performing, but today I was able to take on a new role and see behind the scenes. And while that might be different from what I’m studying, it’s still a part of my craft as an artist,” said Best.
That same willingness to stretch beyond comfort zones was at the heart of Who’s Next?, the student short film screened at the end of the program. Created by Take6 Productions, it reimagined Chadwick Boseman’s impact through dance.
The idea began in a freshman dorm room, when CEO of Take6 Productions, Thalía Norwood, a senior dance major from New Jersey, felt a spark after watching the trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with creative director Kaylee Faison, a senior dance major from Hillsborough, North Carolina.
“We would not be here, our film would not be here, our company would not be here without Chadwick Aaron Boseman and the life he lived authentically in every step that he took,” said Faison.
For the team, the film’s title was as much a question as it was a dedication.
“It asks the question, “Who’s going to be next to follow in that kind of legacy, to make your art much bigger than yourself and create a large level of inspiration and integrity for generations to come?’” said Jaida Nutall, a senior dance major and from Washington, D.C., who serves as the project’s assistant and rehearsal director.
To answer that question, the team leaned on what they knew best: movement. With choreography led by Faison, every gesture was layered with meaning, an attempt to capture the spirit of Boseman’s work rather than imitate it.
“Our choreographer made sure the dance was not just about the physicality, ‘Put the arm here, put the head there’, but about what each movement means,” explained Alexus Sears, a senior dance major from Newport News, Virginia, who served as casting director for the project and Take6 Production’s internal chief communications officer.
“When we showed our trailer, everyone stood up and said, ‘You guys did such an amazing job.’ They saw the purpose and why we were making the film,” said Janelle Acosta, chief financial officer of Take6 Productions and the executive director of the project.
The short film also included messages from industry leaders and Boseman’s loved ones. Phylicia Rashad, dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts and a Howard alumna, shared words of support joined by playwright Nikkole Salter, an assistant professor in the theater department and co-founder of the Continuum Project, who spoke on Boseman’s impact. His brother, Derrick Boseman, offered personal reflections on continuing his legacy. April Carter, a mentor and advocate for young artists, also encouraged students and reflected on Boseman’s influence.
“I hope tonight is a space where us, as young Black individuals and artists, can share our individualism as well as our appreciation and our gratitude for the gifts that we have been bestowed upon,” said Faison.
Copy edited by D’Nyah Jefferson – Philmore
