Howard University and Netflix Announce Scholarship Honoring the Legacy of Chadwick Boseman

 Photo Credit: Howard University

 Boseman delivering Howard University's commencement address in 2018.

Netflix, alongside Howard University, announced a $5.4 million endowed scholarship today to honor one of the historically black college's most famous alumni.

Actor, director, writer and producer Chadwick Boseman, an honors graduate of the HBCU, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Marvel's "Black Panther," died in August of 2020 of colon cancer at the age of 43, just as his career was reaching stratospheric levels.

Now thanks to the generous donation from Netflix, Howard hopes to not only preserve the legacy of Boseman — who was nominated posthumously for an Academy Award for his performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” — but help support future students as they endeavor to imitate his postgraduate success. 

“It is with immense pleasure and deep gratitude that we announce the creation of an endowed scholarship in honor of alumnus, Chadwick Boseman, whose life and contributions to the arts continues to inspire,” Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick said in a statement. “This scholarship embodies Chadwick’s love for Howard, his passion for storytelling, and his willingness to support future generations of Howard students. I am thankful for the continuous support and partnership of Chadwick’s wife, Mrs. Simone Ledward Boseman, and to Netflix for this important gift.”

The actor’s wife, Simone Ledward-Boseman, added. “Many exemplary artists are not afforded the opportunity to pursue higher learning, we hope to support as many students as possible by removing the financial barrier to education. This endowment represents Chad’s devotion to the craft, his compassion for others, and his desire to support future storytellers.”

The Chadwick A. Boseman Memorial Scholarship will provide incoming students in the College of Fine Arts with a four-year scholarship to cover the full cost of tuition, which runs about $28,000 a year. According to the announcement the scholarship "will be given to students who have exceptional skills in the dramatic arts and exemplify Boseman’s values — a drive for excellence, leadership, respect, empathy, and passion — and who demonstrate financial need."

Four scholarships will be awarded starting this fall and then going forward one will be given to an incoming freshman each year.

Five Hip-Hop Icons to Unite for Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show

Courtesy Roc Nation 

It’s still way too early in the NFL season to predict whether the game will be worth watching, but for the first time in a long time it looks like the Super Bowl’s halftime show will be must-see television for hip-hop fans no-matter what teams are facing off in the main event. 

Thursday the NFL, Pepsi and Roc Nation announced five hip-hop icons will unite to headline the 2022 Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. 

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar will take to the stage to perform together for the first time in their careers. Jay Z whose firm Roc Nation has helped produce the last two halftime shows and will guide this one as well said in a statement that the show was “history in the making.”

"Dr. Dre, a musical visionary from Compton, Snoop Dogg, an icon from Long Beach and Kendrick Lamar, a young musical pioneer in his own right, also from Compton, will take center field for a performance of a lifetime,” said Jay Z, hyping the lineup. "They will be joined by the lyrical genius, Eminem and the timeless Queen, Mary J. Blige.”

Dr. Dre thanked Jay Z, Roc Nation, the NFL and Pepsi for the opportunity to participate in what he called, “an unforgettable cultural moment.”

"The opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show, and to do it in my own backyard, will be one of the biggest thrills of my career," Dr. Dre. said.

Dave Chappelle Announces New Netflix Special

Photo credit: Screenshot Netflix "Sticks and Stones."

The relationship between comedian Dave Chappelle and Netflix has proved to be resilient as it has been fruitful since it began when the comedian reportedly signed a $60 million deal for delivering the first of three specials to the company starting in 2017.

Of the five specials he has released since on the network, three have won Grammys in the Best Comedy Album category: "The Age of Spin, Deep in the Heart of Texas," "Equanimity & The Bird Revelation", and "Sticks & Stones."

He also received five Emmy awards for "Sticks & Stones" and "Equanimity & The Bird Revelation," pushing his career total to five — the other two coming from hosting appearances on "Saturday Night Live."

Wednesday the streaming giant announced Chappelle's return to the network for the sixth, and perhaps final chapter of his run of Netflix specials, "The Closer." Premiering globally October 5, a press release from Netflix said, "This stand-up special completes a body of work which includes: 'The Age Of Spin,' 'Deep In The Heart Of Texas,' 'Equanimity & The Bird Revelation,' 'And Sticks & Stones.'"

"Comedians have a responsibility to speak recklessly," Chappelle says in a teaser trailer accompanying the release.

"Sometimes the funniest thing to say is mean. Remember, I'm not saying it to be mean. I'm saying it because it's funny," he continues while performing in front of a live audience.

If it is the final chapter in this particular Chappelle Epoch, it appears the 48-year-old is going out with guns blazing. Emmy-winning director Stan Lathan returns to direct, having helmed all five of Chappelle's previous Netflix specials.

Considering his respect for the network, however, it seems likely that Chappelle will be teaming up with Netflix again in the future. 

The network gained his respect and favor after it pulled episodes of his iconic sketch comedy hit "Chappelle's Show" off the air at his request after  ViacomCBS had licensed it to Netflix and HBO Max without providing additional compensation for him in the deal, prompting him to say at the time: 

I like working for Netflix because when all those bad things happened to me, that company didn’t even exist. And when I found out they were streaming ‘Chappelle’s Show,’ I was furious. How could they not– how could they not know? So you know what I did? I called them and I told them that this makes me feel bad. And you want to know what they did? They agreed that they would take it off their platform just so I could feel better.

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