Obituaries

Legendary R&B singer Peabo Bryson passes away at 75, leaving a musical legacy spanning decades of cherished love songs.

Reporting on losses in Black culture, honoring legacies, and navigating grief and resilience.

Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen tragically passed away, leaving the community in mourning and searching for answers.

Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr. was a civil rights leader whose organizing in Selma ultimately led to the introduction of the Voting Rights Act. 

Ron Kenoly, the powerhouse gospel singer and worship leader whose vibrant anthems like “Ancient of Days” and “Jesus Is Alive” became Sunday morning staples for Black churches and congregations worldwide, died Feb. 3. He was 81. His death was confirmed by his longtime music director, Bruno Miranda, who described Kenoly not as an entertainer, but […]

Legendary musician LaMonte McLemore, co-founder of The 5th Dimension, dies at 90 after a life filled with artistic achievements and cultural impact.

Elder Lawrence Blake, who served on the pastoral staff of West Angeles Church of God in Christ, died last week at 54.

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.

Legendary dancer Carmen de Lavallade, who broke barriers and inspired generations, has passed away at 94.

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.

Jimmy Cliff’s international breakthrough came in 1972 after starring and recording the soundtrack for the cult classic film 'The Harder They Come.' 

Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, formerly known as H. Rap Brown, a Black revolutionary who preached armed resistance, dies at 82.