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.

UNCF Mourns the Passing of Congressman David Scott

UNCF joins the nation in mourning the passing of U.S. Representative David Scott (D-GA-13), a steadfast champion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and a towering figure in American public life. The following statement was issued by Lodriguez Murray, Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Government Affairs at UNCF: “We at UNCF are saddened to hear of the passing of Congressman David Scott. History will always note that he was the first African American chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. What I hope history will point out are his many contributions to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Like over

Memorial services for Jesse Jackson begin at Chicago headquarters of his civil rights organization

By The Associated Press CHICAGO — Cross-country memorial services for the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. are set to begin Thursday in Chicago, the city the late civil rights leader called home. The protégé of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate will lie in repose for two days at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition before events in Washington, D.C., and South Carolina, where he was born. “The outpouring of love and support received from around the globe has been abundant and deeply felt,” Jackson’s family members said in a recent statement. Jackson died last week at age 84 after battling a rare

Funeral arrangements for civil rights activist Jesse Jackson announced

Funeral arrangements have been made for civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson, according to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Jackson, who was a protégé of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 17. The Greenville Eight member had been hospitalized in recent months and was under observation for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). According to the organization, Jackson will lie in state next Wednesday and Thursday (Feb. 25 – 26) at Rainbow PUSH at 930 E 50th Street in Chicago. Doors are expected to open at 10 a.m. both days. The People’s Celebration at House of Hope is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 27,

Dr. Norman Francis ‘A True Giant’: Former Xavier University President Dies At 94

Dr. Norman C. Francis, the longtime president of Xavier University of Louisiana and a nationally respected civil rights and education leader, died Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at the age of 94. Xavier University, the nation’s only historically Black and Catholic university, confirmed his death and hailed Francis as a transformational figure whose vision reshaped the institution and broadened opportunities for generations of students. Prominent New Orleans attorney and friend Kim Boyle called Dr. Francis “A true giant.” Francis, a 1952 Xavier graduate and Lafayette, Louisiana, native, became the university’s first Black and first lay president in 1968 and led the

Claudette Colvin, who refused to move seats on a bus at start of civil rights movement, dies at 86

By The Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Claudette Colvin, whose 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus helped spark the modern civil rights movement, has died. She was 86. Her death was announced Tuesday by the Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation. Ashley D. Roseboro of the organization confirmed she died of natural causes in Texas. Colvin, at age 15, was arrested nine months before Rosa Parks gained international fame for also refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus. Colvin had boarded the bus on March 2, 1955, on her way home from

Former Vice President Dick Cheney Dies at Age 84

By Matt Korade Former Vice President Dick Cheney died of complications from pneumonia and cardio and vascular disease, his family said in a statement Tuesday. He was 84. Cheney served as vice president under President George W. Bush and as defense secretary under his father, President George H.W. Bush. Before that he served in the U.S. House as a Republican from Wyoming and as White House chief of staff for President Gerald Ford. “Dick Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honor, love, kindness, and fly fishing,”

Assata Shakur, Black Liberation Activist, Dies in Cuba at 78

By Carmen Sesin Black liberation activist and American fugitive Assata Shakur, who escaped to Cuba more than 45 years ago after she was convicted of killing a New Jersey state trooper, died in Havana, the government announced Friday. She was 78. Shakur, who changed her name from Joanne Chesimard, died Thursday from health ailments and advanced age, according to a short statement released by the Cuban Foreign Ministry. “Words cannot describe the depth of loss that I am feeling at this time. I want to thank you for your loving prayers,” her daughter Kakuya Shakur wrote in a Facebook post. Shakur was involved in

Civil Rights Icon James Ferguson II Dies at Age 82

James Ferguson II, a trailblazing civil rights attorney and proud Historically Black College and University (HBCU) graduate, has died at 82. His legal victories reshaped education and justice in North Carolina and beyond. Born in 1942 in segregated Asheville, North Carolina, Ferguson began his journey toward justice as a student activist. He helped desegregate public spaces such as lunch counters and libraries through peaceful protest. HBCU Education and Legal Foundation After graduating from North Carolina Central University, an HBCU in Durham, NC, he earned his law degree from Columbia University. He returned to North Carolina and opened his first law office in 1964. Just

Malcolm-Jamal Warner Dies at 54 in Drowning Accident

Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner has reportedly died as a result of an accidental drowning during a family vacation in Costa Rica, according to TMZ. Many fans and admirers, like myself, are devastated by a young inspirational talent lost, who was beloved by so many. Warner was 54. Warner charismatically embodied the essence of Theo, the lone son of the five children featured in The Cosby Show, a groundbreaking sitcom that not only entertained but also challenged racial stereotypes. Alongside Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad, he was part of a show that redefined the portrayal of African American families on television. He

NFL Star & HBCU Legend Pettis Norman Dies at Age 86

Pettis Burch Norman, an HBCU legend out of Johnson C. Smith University and native of Lincolnton, Georgia, passed away at his home in Dallas on July 7, 2025, at the age of 86. Norman was one of the few NFL athletes who openly championed civil rights causes as a leader and even promoted financial literacy within the minority communities as a bank executive. Also, he was the first Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls football player to land in the National Football League. He was born on January 4, 1939, as the youngest of ten children in a family of sharecroppers who later

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