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Obituaries

As we’ve come to understand year after year, day after day, death is an inevitable part of life—a universal truth that spares no one. Yet, despite its certainty, the weight of loss never becomes easier to bear, nor does the act of processing its impact. For those within Black culture, where community and shared experiences […]

Harold’s Chicken Shack has long been a staple of Chicago food, with Kristen Pierce-Sherrod managing the chain since her father died in 1988.

Claudette Colvin was known for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus nine months before Rosa Parks. 

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

Gospel legend Richard Smallwood, 8-time Grammy nominee, dies at 77 after kidney failure. Pioneered contemporary gospel sound.

Legendary Memphis soul artist Don Bryant, known for hits like 'I Can't Stand the Rain,' passes away at 83.

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.

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

Esaw Snipes-Garner became a community activist after her husband, Eric Garner, was killed in an act of police violence.

Dr. Bessie Nelson, beloved mother of gospel singers Jonathan and Jason Nelson, has passed away. The family asks for prayers and privacy during this time.

Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel died Monday at 94. He leaves behind a legacy of working to change the lives of Black people in America.