After getting the College of Fine Arts posthumously named after him, actor Chadwick Boseman is also getting his own Masterclass at his alma mater Howard University.
The school is set to introduce a new masterclass on the entertainment industry at the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts, TMZ reports. The school’s president, Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick said the curriculum was actually designed and pitched by the Black Panther star two years ago.
A year before his untimely death from colon cancer, Boseman met with school leaders and presented his concept to introduce scholars to the ins and outs of entering the entertainment industry. Now students within Howard’s Fine Arts program will receive an updated curriculum that better prepares them for their course of interest. Classes will now include sessions with professionals with real-life experience in their field of interest.
While Howard is known for having guest lectures by celebrities, industry insiders, and often fellow alums, those taking Boseman’s masterclass will receive a different structured session with the guests being weaved into the day-to-day learning and coursework on campus.
The late actor had intentions of being very hands-on with the program prior to his death. He had already signed the paperwork to get the program started. But actress Phylicia Rashad, who was recently named as the dean of the Chadwick Boseman College of Fine Arts, will help spearhead the new masterclass.
“While he was a student, Boseman led a protest against the College of Fine Arts’ absorption into the College of Arts & Sciences, which he referenced during his powerful commencement address in 2018, where he spoke about challenging the powers that be and finding your purpose,” Rashad previously said of Boseman, via Hypebeast.
The HBCU is making sure that Boseman’s legacy will not just carry on through his film career but also through his alma mater.