Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar, dies at age 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 87.
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Hair care products founder Joe Dudley dies
Joe Louis Dudley, who rose from humble beginnings and overcame a speech impediment to create a multimillion-dollar, Black-owned hair care company, died Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, at age 86. Funeral services were Monday, Feb. 19, at Mount Zion Baptist Church ...
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Big 10 football rivalry creates George Jewett Trophy
George Jewett broke the Big 10 color barrier away back in the ’90s—the 1890s, that is.
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Olympian and activist Lee Evans, who took iconic stand at 1968 Mexico City Games, dies at 74
Lee Evans, the record-setting sprinter who wore a black beret in a sign of protest at the 1968 Summer Olympics and then went on to a life of humanitarian work in support of social justice, died Wednesday, May 19, 2021, ...
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Legend of screen and television Cicely Tyson dies at 96
Actress Cicely Tyson, whose legendary roles portraying the history and humanity of Black people won awards and touched hearts, has died.
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Beloved slugger, MLB Hall of Famer Hank Aaron dies at 86
Growing up poor in Mobile, Ala., during the Great Depression, Hank Aaron began playing baseball by hitting bottle caps with sticks.
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NFL Hall of Famer Gale Sayers dies at 77
Gale Sayers, remembered for his spectacular athleticism and inspiring friendship with an ailing teammate, died Sept. 23, 2020. He was 77.
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Rep. John Lewis
Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, a lion of the Civil Rights Movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, died ...
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Historic first: A. Benjamin Spencer named dean of W&M Law School
As a University of Virginia law school professor, A. Benjamin Spencer has earned accolades for his knowledge of federal courts and civil litigation.
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'Architect of rock 'n' roll,' Little Richard, dies at 87
Little Richard, the self-proclaimed “architect of rock ‘n’ roll” who built his groundbreaking sound with a boiling blend of boogie woogie, rhythm and blues and gospel, died Saturday, May 9, 2020, at the age of 87.
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Grammy-winning singer Betty Wright succumbs at 66
Betty Wright, the Grammy-winning singer and songwriter whose influential 1970s hits included “Clean Up Woman” and “Where Is the Love,” is dead at age 66.
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Andre Harrell, who founded Uptown Records and launched many careers, dies at 5
Andre Harrell, the Uptown Records founder who shaped the sound of hip-hop and R&B in the late 1980s and 1990s with acts such as Mary J. Blige and Heavy D and also launched the career of mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, ...
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Think of groundbreaker George Taliaferro during NFL draft
George Taliaferro was a game changer regarding the NFL draft. He also took versatility to a higher level.
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Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Davis dies at 85
When historians reminisce about the Green Bay Packers dynasty of the 1960s, William Delford “Willie” Davis’ name is among the first to come up.
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