Over the weekend, Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) held its annually televised fundraiser.
Per a press release sent to The Root, the telethon raised over $143.18 million for cancer research and breakthrough treatments and boasted appearances from guests like Chandra Wilson, Ciara, Common, Deon Cole, MJ Rodriguez, Alexandra Shipp, Stevie Wonder, and Uzo Aduba. Also in attendance was Blackish star Anthony Anderson, who served as one of the co-hosts for the evening and introduced Chadwick Boseman’s widow Simone Ledward Boseman before she gave a tearful tribute to her late husband.
“Many of us were devastated to learn about Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing after he privately grappled with cancer for several years,” Anderson began. “The world lost an incredible artist and a true hero. But before he was a public figure, he was a person like you or me. A son, a brother, uncle, cousin, friend, colleague, husband. Many of us are all too familiar with the fracture a dearly loved one’s passing leaves in the lives of those who love them. Here to perform a song of living with the reality of loss and finding a way forward is Chadwick’s wife, Simone.”
Simone then began singing an emotional rendition of the popular jazz song “I’ll Be Seeing You.” Though originally composed for the 1938 Broadway musical Right This Way, the song grew in popularity in 1944, thanks largely in part to Billie Holiday. The tribute starts around the 39-minute mark and all I’ve got to say is: get your tissues ready.
This Saturday, August 28, marks the one-year anniversary of Chadwick Boseman’s passing. That sentence still feels crazy to write. Even after watching Simone continuously and graciously accept numerous posthumous awards on his behalf, it’s still extremely difficult to accept the fact that he’s not here with us any longer.
We continue to send our love and support to Simone and their loved ones.
