Chadwick Boseman’s brothers speak on his passing: ‘His best was incredible’

Though his career and life ended prematurely, his family remembers the impact he made

Chadwick Boseman is missed by millions but his family feels the pain like no one else can imagine.

Boseman’s two older brothers spoke to The New York Times about the actor’s legacy and what Chad, as they affectionally called him, meant to them.

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Thank You, God. Thank you, Brother. Thank you, Family. Thank you, all. Thank you.

A post shared by KEVIN BOSEMAN (@kevinboseman) on Sep 8, 2020 at 1:15pm PDT

Read More: How do we reconcile Black Panther without our King Chadwick Boseman?

“Chad was gifted,” said his brother, Pastor Derrick Boseman, 54, who said when his youngest sibling was a child, he could sit and draw anyone. “He’s probably the most gifted person I’ve ever met.”

Boseman passed away from cancer in August at just 43 years old. He was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2016 and still went on to play the lead in one of the biggest films in history, Black Panther. The actor also played legacy characters like James Brown in Get On Up, Jackie Robinson in 42, and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall. 

His last movie role in will be in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom debuting on Netflix Dec. 18.

Chadwick as Levee in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)

Read More: Parents struggle to tell kids that ‘Black Panther’ actor passed away

“A lot of people think making it means becoming an A-list movie star,” said his other brother, Kevin Boseman, 48. “I didn’t force that. I just knew that if Chad wanted to work in the arts, he would find a way and take care of himself.”

Boseman, who hailed from Anderson, S.C, was raised in the church along with his brothers by his parents Leroy and Carolyn in a large, God-fearing, close-knit family. He was always interested in the arts. Kevin was a dancer for Alvin Alley and other dance troupes, inspiring his younger brother who eventually started to pursue theater. Chadwick was initially interested in writing and directing but it was his Howard University professors that encouraged him to act.

Thinking back on his brother’s work ethic, Kevin said, ”His best was incredible.” 

Pastor Bosman was praying with his brother in his final days. Chadwick never publicly revealed he was sick, just continued on with his career while keeping up a pace that would have challenged someone 100% healthy.

His brother said he was praying for Chad to get better until he said something that changed his focus.

“Man, I’m in the fourth quarter, and I need you to get me out of the game,” Chadwick told his oldest brother.

Read More: First look at Chadwick Boseman in final film ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’

“When he told me that, I changed my prayer from, ‘God heal him, God save him,’ to ‘God, let your will be done,’” said Pastor Boseman. “And the next day he passed away.”

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As utility shutoff moratoriums expire, Americans brace for loss of essential services

Utility shut offs are imminent around the country because COVID-19 shutoff moratoriums are expiring

More than 179 million people around the United States could soon lose their basic necessities like water and electricity due to unpaid utility bills according to The Washington Post.

Read More: Trump going to military hospital after COVID-19 diagnosis

The publication released a report detailing how the pandemic impacted the blooming crisis, how families are coping, and what the government is doing about it.

When the coronavirus first hit back in the spring, though many folks lost their jobs, states stepped in to help to make sure residents weren’t without basic utilities. But after almost seven months, most of that aid has come to an end. According to the report, only the District of Columbia and 21 other states have continuing bans on disconnecting utilities.

(Adobe stock photo)

“The people who were struggling before are struggling even more,” said the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association executive director, Mark Wolfe. According to the NEADA, electric and gas debt alone is at risk of exceeding $24.3B by the end of the year.

Kenneth Parson, 62, of Griffin, Ga. is a diabetic who lost power in July after falling behind on his payments. Parson needs power in order to refrigerate the insulin he uses to treat his diabetes but his wife says that still didn’t stop the power company from turning off his service.

“They said they couldn’t do nothing for him,” said his wife, Cheryl, 65. “It peeved me off.”

Some states are trying to work with their residents offering payment plans in order to help them keep their utilities on. Lobbyists are calling for states like Pennsylvania to offer payment plans instead of just cutting off service. The state is currently $403M in arrears.

Pennsylvania ultimately decided to continue its scheduled disconnections.

Read More: Amazon says nearly 20,000 workers tested positive for COVID-19

“All the dominoes are about to fall,” said Elizabeth Marx, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project, a company that advocates for low-income residents in need. “When you lift the moratorium, those households that are struggling will be worse off.”

Last week, according to Dept. of Labor statistics, 837,000 Americans filed for unemployment.

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Obama wishes Trump and first lady ‘best wishes’ after coronavirus diagnosis

Barack Obama wished Trump a speedy recovery after his coronavirus diagnosis

Former President Barack Obama extended his well wishes to the current commander in chief Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump after their coronavirus diagnosis.

The 44^th president offered his words of support for the Trumps late Friday during a virtual fundraiser with Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris for the Biden-Harris campaign, according to CNN. He also shared the declaration on social media.

(Photo: Twitter/Barack Obama)

Read More: Trump going to military hospital after COVID-19 diagnosis

“Let me start by the way, by just stating that we’re in the midst of a big political fight. And we take that very seriously,” Obama said.

“We also want to extend our best wishes to the President of the United States, the first lady … Michelle and I are hopeful that they and others who have been affected by Covid-19 around the country are getting the care that they need, that they are going to be on the path to a speedy recovery.”

Obviously, we’re in the midst of a big political battle right now, and while there’s a lot at stake, let’s remember that we’re all Americans. We’re all human beings. And we want everyone to be healthy, no matter our party.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 2, 2020

The sentiment came after Trump was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment for what officials described as “mild symptoms.” Trump, wearing a mask, was seen walking on his own power from the White House to Marine One. He will be hospitalized the next “few days,” on the advice of doctors.

The president released a prerecorded 18 second video on social media before he left for Walter Reed and thanked Americans for their support.

“I want to thank everybody for the tremendous support,” Trump said.

Read More: Making political sense of Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis

“I think I’m doing very well but we’re going to make sure that things work out,” he added. “The first lady is doing very well. So thank you very much. I appreciate it. I will never forget it.”

pic.twitter.com/B4H105KVSs

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020

Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Harris also extended their sympathies to Trump and his wife. Biden, who participated in the first presidential debate with Trump earlier in the week, has thus far tested negative for COVID-19 after being in close contact.

theGrio reported that Trump shocked the country when he announced in the early hours of Friday that he and the first lady tested positive for COVID-19. The infection came months after the president has flouted social distancing guidelines as he has continued to host rallies and mocked wearing masks.

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Everyone in the White House cluster who has said they tested positive for the coronavirus

With few wearing masks to protect against the coronavirus, members of Congress applaud President Trump as he introduces Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee to the Supreme Court on September 26. One attendee, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), has tested positive for the coronavirus. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

These are the White House officials, staffers, and journalists who reportedly have the coronavirus.

This week, at least nine people who work in the White House or have recently attended events there have tested positive for the coronavirus — including President Donald Trump himself.

The president announced late Thursday night that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus, joining several other high-ranking government officials who have contracted SARS-CoV-2.

Lawmakers have occasionally tested positive before. In addition to Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, who followed Trump’s announcement with a tweet announcing a positive test of his own, two other Republican senators tested positive over the spring and summer: Rand Paul of Kentucky and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. The virus has also infected at least 14 House members — nine Republicans and five Democrats — since March. But this is the first time the virus, which has killed more than 208,000 Americans, has spread in such a concentrated manner among White House officials, staffers, and members of the press corps.

The White House, in other words, is now a Covid-19 hot spot.

While it’s not clear how the president was exposed, Trump was in regular contact this week with senior counselor Hope Hicks, who tested positive on Thursday afternoon. Hicks had traveled with Trump multiple times this week, including to Tuesday night’s presidential debate in Cleveland.

Multiple people who attended last Saturday’s event at the White House, when Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court, have also tested positive. Lee, who also met with Barrett on Tuesday, was in attendance, as was University of Notre Dame President John Jenkins, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday.

Barrett, for her part, was diagnosed with coronavirus over the summer but has recovered. It is unknown whether she now carries immunity.

As of early Friday afternoon, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen have both tested negative, as have Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his wife Jill. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe tested negative as well.

Trump and his staff have been traveling to campaign events for several weeks. Just in the last week, the president has held rallies in Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota, in addition to the debate in Ohio.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, flew with Trump to the debate, and she is now getting tested and isolating “out of an abundance of caution.”

The White House and Capitol will now likely have to undertake major contact tracing efforts. As Vox’s Dylan Scott explained, the only way to figure out the full extent of the outbreak is contact tracing: “identifying who has been in close contact with the president since he became contagious, and asking them to quarantine to prevent Covid-19 from spreading to others, and to get tested themselves.”

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows speaks to reporters about President Trump’s positive coronavirus test outside the West Wing of the White House on October 2.

The Trump campaign announced in a statement Friday that he and his family are suspending in-person events. Pence’s campaign travel will continue.

Here’s what we know about who has tested positive — and negative — for SARS-CoV-2 so far.

The list of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus

• President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump
• Hope Hicks, senior counselor to President Trump
• US Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah
• John Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame
• Three journalists from the White House press corps, according to the White House Correspondents Association
• A White House press staffer, according to the correspondents’ association

A brief list of key politicians and officials who have tested negative

Given the level of uncertainty created by this news, Vox has compiled a list of key administration figures who help run the country, key lawmakers who have been in contact with the president, and key Democrats in the 2020 election cycle who have recently gotten negative test results for the virus.

While it could take several days for an individual who has contracted the virus to test positive, these are the initial negative tests. As of 6 pm ET Friday, here’s the list:

• Democratic nominee Joe Biden and Jill Biden
• Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence
• Sen. Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff
• Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
• Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe
• Republican Reps. Pete Stauber and Tom Emmer of Minnesota, who traveled with Trump earlier this week, according to a reporter from the MinnPost

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After 2 Years, No Charges Will Be Filed Against Chicago Cop Who Fatally Shot Black Security Guard

In 2018, Jemel Roberson, a Black security guard, was restraining an active shooter when he was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer.

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