Obituaries
As we’ve come to understand year after year, day after day even, death is unfortunately an inevitable part of life. Still, as much of a fact as that may be, the blow of experiencing loss never gets any easier, nor does reporting on the subject in Black culture.
Pioneering Black Park Ranger Betty Reid Soskin, 104, championed marginalized voices & ensured underrepresented histories were not forgotten.
Viola “Mother” Ford Fletcher, one of the last living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, has died in Tulsa at the age of 111.
Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, formerly known as H. Rap Brown, a Black revolutionary who preached armed resistance, dies at 82.
The longtime drummer for The Time and founding father of "The Minneapolis Sound," passed away on Nov. 21, two days following his 69th birthday.
Esaw Snipes-Garner became a community activist after her husband, Eric Garner, was killed in an act of police violence.
Chris Jasper, who played a key role in the Isley Brothers' success in the 70s and 80s, passed away on Feb. 23 from cancer at age 73.
We are sad to report that legendary singer/songwriter Roberta Flack has reportedly passed away at the age of 88. An official statement from her publicist, Elaine Schock, reads, “We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025. She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She […]
Gwen McCrae, who scored a #1 R&B hit in 1975 with "Rockin' Chair," has reportedly passed away at the age of 81.
We are sad to report that Jerry “The Iceman” Butler, the original lead singer of The Impressions who went on to a successful career as a solo artist and in politics, passed away at age 85. Butler’s assistant and “niece at heart,” Marty, exclusively confirmed the news to TMZ, saying he passed away from natural […]
The last 12 months marked the heartbreaking losses of so many iconic and transcendent Black figures in entertainment, business, sports, activism and beyond.
Nikki Giovanni, the legendary poet, author and activist whose career spanned nearly 60 years, has died. She was 81.