Chadwick Boseman – who plays T’Challa in Black Panther, the 12th highest-grossing movie of all time – returned to Howard University this week to speak to students.

The South Carolina native, who graduated from Howard with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2000, began by telling the Class of 2018 that the campus represents “the culmination of the intellectual and spiritual journey you undergo while you were here.”

“That is the magic of this place,” said Boseman. “Anything can happen here.”

However, Boseman went on to explain that life outside of university can be very different – particularly in terms of the opportunities offered.

Recalling one of his earliest acting roles, which saw him portray a young African American with an absentee father and drug-addicted mother, who was subsequently pressured into gang life, he said: “I found myself conflicted. The role seemed to be wrapped up in assumptions about us as black folk – hardly any positivity.”

After voicing his opinion to the show’s executives, Boseman said he was fired.

Chadwick Boseman’s powerhouse speech is here to light a fire in your soul