The Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University and the Fine Arts Student Council will commemorate the fifth annual Chadwick A. Boseman Day with three days of programming Aug. 26–28, culminating in a student showcase hosted by Howard alumnus, Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor and producer Anthony Anderson (B.F.A ’22). 

This year’s observance, themed “A New Dawn of Purpose,” will honor Boseman’s enduring legacy while celebrating the creativity, artistic purpose and promise of the next generation of Howard artists.

The theme reflects a moment of renewal for students at the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts as they begin the 2026-2027 academic year and return to the newly renovated Lulu Vere Childers Hall. Through movement, reflection, conversation and performance, the three-day observance will invite the Howard community to consider what it means to create with purpose and carry forward the example Boseman established as an artist, storyteller and Howard alumnus.

Boseman graduated from Howard in 2000 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in directing. Before his celebrated film career, he developed his craft at the University and went on to become an actor, director, and writer whose work included portrayals of Jackie Robinson in "42," James Brown in "Get on Up," and T’Challa in "Black Panther." Following his death in 2020, Howard renamed its reestablished College of Fine Arts in his honor in 2021.

Now in its fifth year, Chadwick A. Boseman Day provides Howard students an annual opportunity to remember Boseman not only for the characters he brought to life, but also for the artistic purpose, discipline, and commitment that defined his journey from Howard University to the world stage.

“It is truly an honor to coordinate the fifth annual Chadwick A. Boseman Day,” said senior Noel Best, a theatre major who serves as the 2026-27 president of the Fine Arts Student Council. “The Fine Arts Student Council has been working diligently this summer to ensure that the week reflects the impact of [Boseman’s] legacy and how we as students have been inspired to carry that same legacy forward.”

The observance begins Wednesday, Aug. 26, with a dance workshop designed to engage students through movement and artistic expression. On Thursday, Aug. 27, the College will host a reflection ceremony and panel discussion, tentatively titled “Renewing the Spirit, Awakening the Light Within.” The program will create space for reflection on Boseman’s life, legacy, and the ways artists can use their creative practice in service of a larger purpose.

The observance will culminate Friday, Aug. 28, with the annual Chadwick A. Boseman Day student showcase, guest-hosted by Anderson. The showcase will spotlight the talent and creative voices of students across the College’s artistic disciplines while celebrating the legacy of the alumnus whose name the College proudly bears.

“Chadwick Boseman’s journey reminds our students that artistic excellence and purpose are not separate pursuits — they can and should inform one another,” said Raquel Monroe, Ph.D., dean of the College of Fine Arts. “What makes this annual observance so meaningful is that our students continue to shape it for themselves, reflecting on Chadwick’s legacy while considering what it means to build their own. As we begin a new academic year and a new chapter for our College, ‘A New Dawn of Purpose’ invites each of us to think about how we will use our creativity, our voices, and our gifts in service of something greater than ourselves.”

Howard University's fifth annual Chadwick A. Boseman Day observance events:

Wednesday, August 26 
Soul in Motion 
Dance Workshop 
6—8 PM | Reading Lounge, Blackburn Center
 
Thursday, August 27 
Renewing the Spirit, Awakening the Light Within 
Reflection Ceremony and Panel Discussion 
7—9 PM | Fine Arts Bldg., Room 300, 3rd Floor
 
Friday, August 28 
Chadwick A. Boseman Day Student Showcase 
Guest Hosted by Anthony Anderson 
6—8 PM | In front of Douglass Hall