The subdued brilliance of Chadwick Boseman

[View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter]( August 31, 2020 Another weekend in America. On Saturday, a caravan of Trump supporters [rolled through Portland](, some [plowing through counter-protesters](, others shooting pepper spray out their car windows. Someone—it's unclear who—[shot and killed]( a member of a far-right group called Patriot Prayer. President Trump retweeted a post saying the man had been "murdered in Portland by ANTIFA"; [Joe Biden gave a speech]( accusing Trump of fomenting the violence in the first place. And, as if 2020 couldn't have gotten any worse, Chadwick Boseman, who starred as King T'Challa in Black Panther, died on Friday at 43. In his [eulogy]( to the actor's subdued brilliance, my colleague Eddie Rios writes: It’s almost fitting that his role as the Black Panther most gripped the public consciousness. Boseman’s journey morphed from heroes of history into the literal fictional superhero that Black and Brown children could look up to. In T’Challa, Boseman found a complex figure who straddled between protecting Wakandans by keeping them isolated from the rest of the world, and offering the imaginary country’s innovations to aid in global progress. We saw a Black man lead a superhero franchise without parody, unifying people who desperately wanted to cross their arms and shout “Wakanda Forever.” Here's hoping the rest of the week is a little less eventful. —Abigail Weinberg [House Donations Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [The Subdued Brilliance of Chadwick Boseman]( He looked past the facade of the historical figures he played and accessed what lay beneath. BY EDWIN RIOS [Trending] [Minneapolis has a long history of racist police. Activists want to kick out the county attorney who protected them.]( BY MATT COHEN [Disgraced Republican financier accused of secretly lobbying for China]( BY DAN FRIEDMAN [“The Road From Raqqa” Is a Story of Two Brothers That Will Resonate With Anyone Who Has Left Home]( BY BECCA ANDREWS [New Poll: Trump's popularity among the military is eroding]( BY DAN SPINELLI [House Subscriptions Ad]( [Health & Environment] [Special Feature]( [California Needs More Firefighters—But It's Preventing Skilled Former Inmates From Helping]( A new bill would change that, but it needs approval by tomorrow. BY EDWIN RIOS [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( [Recharge] SOME GOOD NEWS, FOR ONCE [Black Philanthropy Month Sets a New Record for Giving and Growth, and It’s Running Far Beyond the Stretch of August]( As the month comes to a close today, the scope and power of Black Philanthropy Month continue beyond the confines of any calendar or designated stretch of days; it’s running all year long at [#BPM365](. This month’s haul was its largest in history, measured not just financially but in the impact of livestreamed events, media coverage, and community service projects, thanks to the movement’s founder, [Jacqueline Bouvier Copeland](, and its architects, [Tracey Webb]( and [Valaida Fullwood](. They see the campaign less as a finite financial pitch than as a movement to cultivate acts of giving and support, compiled in this year’s [list of stories](. The very word “philanthropy” evokes a range of structural challenges. It’s also a call to action, from the substantive to the symbolic, the immediate to the aspirational. A sharp essay on the subject was written days ago by Hawwa Muhammad, founder of Pink Trumpet, on the Tides Foundation’s website. [Give it a close read](; she outlines three pillars of the campaign’s future and ways to think about sustained giving as a lever of real, not just gestural, change. The month launched in 2011 as a commemoration of the United Nations proclaiming that year [International Year for People of African Descent](, and with Copeland’s, Webb’s, and Fullwood’s efforts, it’s reached nearly 17 million people, with a new organizing concept each year. Check out the [highlights]( and reach us at recharge@motherjones.com with stories about the campaign’s impact far beyond the backend of August. And follow [Copeland](, [Webb](, and [Fullwood]( for initiatives throughout the year. —Daniel King Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755