Howard University has renamed its college of fine arts after Chadwick Boseman, late Black Panther actor.
The university and Boseman’s family announced the news on Twitter on Wednesday.
Boseman, who graduated from the university in 2000, passed away at the age of 43 due to complications from colon cancer.
As a student, he had led a protest against the merger of the college of fine arts with the college of arts and sciences.
In 2018, he was invited by the university to speak at its 150th commencement event.
Wayne Fredrick, the university president, said the role interpreter showed tremendous support towards the re-establishment of the college of fine arts.
“When Chadwick Boseman returned to campus in 2018 to serve as our commencement speaker, he called Howard a magical place. During his visit, I announced our plans to reestablish the college of fine arts and he was filled with ideas and plans to support the effort in a powerful way,” he said.
“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 with the support of his wife and the Chadwick Boseman Foundation.”
The college will be headed by Phylicia Rashad, a Hollywood actress who was recently named the Dean of the college.