In Memoriam

Remembering those who served to make our lives richer and more fulfilling.

Rest in peace our good and faithful servants, we will take it from here.

Voletta Wallace, Notorious B.I.G.’s mother and keeper of his legacy, dies at 78

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 Voletta Wallace, the dedicated mother of the late great rapper The Notorious B.I.G., died Friday morning at 78. Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac confirmed her death Friday to The Associated Press, saying she died at her home in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, after a stint on hospice care. She died of natural causes. A representative for the estate of The Notorious B.I.G. did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Notorious B.I.G., one of the rap’s greatest performers, was shot to death at age 24 in Los Angeles in 1997. The case remains unsolved. Wallace was a dedicated keeper of the legacy of her son,

Jerry T. Hodges Jr., Last Surviving Tuskegee Airman From Arkansas, Passes Away at 99

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On Dec. 19, 2024, Jerry T. Hodges Jr., a revered Tuskegee Airman and civil rights pioneer, passed away at the age of 99. As the last surviving Tuskegee Airman from Arkansas, Hodges leaves a profound legacy that extends far beyond his years in aviation. Born on June 29, 1925, in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in the Arkansas Delta, the challenges of segregation marked Hodges’ early years. In 1943, he graduated as valedictorian from Robert R. Moton High School in Marianna. His passion for aviation soon led him to leave Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) to enlist in the Army Air Corps

Renowned poet and Black arts movement icon Nikki Giovanni dies at 81

By Andrew Limbong The renowned poet Nikki Giovanni has died. Giovanni died on Monday, Dec. 9, following her third cancer diagnosis, according to a statement from friend and author Renée Watson. She was 81. “We will forever be grateful for the unconditional time she gave to us, to all her literary children across the writerly world,” said poet Kwame Alexander in the statement. Giovanni published her first poetry collection, Black Feeling Black Talk, in 1968. It established her as an emerging figure out of the Black Arts Movement. In it, Giovanni writes about the intersections of love, politics, loneliness and race.

Quincy Jones, musical maestro and entertainment industry titan, dies at 91

By Daniel Arkin Quincy Jones, a maestro of American music and a titan of the entertainment industry who influenced nearly every popular genre, produced landmark albums and earned 80 Grammy Award nominations, died Sunday, his publicist said. He was 91. Jones “passed away peacefully” Sunday night at his home in Bel Air while surrounded by his family, according to his publicist, Arnold Robinson. “Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing. And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know

Black Twitter Mourns the Death of Whitney Houston’s Mother Cissy Houston

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By Shanelle Genai On Monday, Oct. 7, Cissy Houston—the mother of the late musical icon Whitney Houston, passed away in her home in New Jersey. Per her daughter-in-law Pat Houston in a statement, Houston was surrounded by family and friends at the time of her death while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease. She was 91-years-old. As the shocking news circulates online, many took to social media to express their condolences, adoration, and all-around love for the musical matriarch who not only gave birth to one of the greatest singers of our time, but had an illustrious singing career herself. Singing for fellow

Willie Mays, supreme baseball talent among the best to ever play, dies at 93

By David K. Li Willie Mays, whose prodigious power, blinding speed and eye-popping defense thrilled fans coast to coast during baseball’s golden era, died Tuesday, the San Francisco Giants announced. He was 93. “It is with great sadness that we announce that San Francisco Giants Legend and Hall of Famer Willie Mays passed away peacefully this afternoon at the age of 93,” the Giants said in a statement. Nicknamed the “Say Hey Kid” for his boundless enthusiasm and penchant for greeting everyone, “Say hey,” Mays played for 22 big-league seasons, breaking in with the New York Giants in 1951 and then becoming a

Fisk University Alumna & Grammy-Winning Singer, Mandisa, Passes Away At 47

By Quintessa Williams Grammy-winning singer and Fisk University alumna, Mandisa, who rose to fame on season five of “American Idol,” has died, her representative said Friday. She was 47. “We can confirm that yesterday Mandisa was found in her home deceased,” her representative said in a statement to NBC News. “At this time we do not know the cause of death or any further details.” “We ask for your prayers for her family and close-knit circle of friends during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement concluded. She was found dead in her Nashville home, according to The Tennessean. A post on the artist’s Facebook page said early

Louis Gossett Jr., Oscar-winning actor from ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ and ‘Roots,’ dies at 87

By Daniel Arkin Louis Gossett Jr., who became the first Black man to win the Oscar for best supporting actor for playing a no-nonsense drill sergeant in “An Officer and a Gentleman” (1982), has died, his family said Friday. He was 87. “It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning,” the actor’s family said in a statement. “We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.” In an acting career that spanned six decades, Gossett appeared in dozens of movies and television

Iconic Black Actor and ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Star André Braugher Dies

By Diana Dasrath and Dennis Romero “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actor Andre Braugher has died after a brief illness, a representative said. He was 61. Details about the illness were not available. Representative Jennifer Allen confirmed the news, saying Braugher died Monday. His two best-known roles were police officers. Braugher won an Emmy for his depiction of police detective Frank Pembleton on the 1990s series “Homicide: Life on the Street.” And he came to be known to a new generation of TV viewers in 2013 as a deadpan police captain on NBC’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” “Andre Braugher was the actor that others in the profession would

Oprah’s father Vernon Winfrey dead at 88

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By Jessica Bennett Oprah Winfrey has confirmed the death of her father, Vernon Winfrey, shortly after local Nashville news outlets reported his passing Friday night. He was 88 years old. “Vernon Winfrey 1933-2022,” the media maven, 68, captioned a video of her dad from July 4th, revealing that their immediate family was aware that he was battling cancer. “Less than a week ago we honored my father in his own backyard. My friend and gospel singer Wintley Phipps saluted him with song,” she continued. “He FELT the love and reveled in it until he could no longer speak. “Yesterday with

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