Howard University is renaming its College of Fine Arts after the late Chadwick Boseman, an alumni of the school who died from colon cancer last yeare.

During his time at Howard, Boseman led a protest against the then-administration when officials consolidated the College of Fine Arts into the larger College of Arts & Sciences. When the actor returned to the university in 2018 to serve as commencement speaker, Howard President Wayne A.I. Frederick announced that the fine arts college would return to its independent status.

Prior to his death in August 2020, the Black Panther star had agreed to serve on the board of the fine arts college and was developing a Master’s Class series for students, Frederick told the Washington Post.

“We are very excited. This is the right thing to do,” Frederick added. “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.”

Boseman’s family said in a statement, “Chad fought to preserve the College of Fine Arts during his matriculation at Howard and remained dedicated to the fight throughout his career, and he would be overjoyed by this development.”

“His time at Howard University helped shape both the man and the artist that he became, committed to truth, integrity, and a determination to transform the world through the power of storytelling,” the actor’s family added.

The university also announced that Bob Iger, the executive chairman of Disney — the studio behind Black Panther — will lead the school’s fundraising efforts to build a new facility and an endowment named after Boseman.

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