Category: Obituaries

Music legend Dolly Parton has passed away at age 80. And while she had countless fans, she got lots of love from the Black community. By Shanelle Genai Published August 25, 2026 Country music legend Dolly Parton has come to hold a special place in Black folks’ hearts over the years. So it’s no wonder…

By: Paige Boyd Michael Wright, the actor best known for his standout performance in the music mockumentary The Five Heartbeats, has passed away at the age of 70. His wife, Susan, confirmed the news on the actor’s Instagram page in a family statement. “Michael was a husband, a father, a grandfather, loved one, a friend, and…

Jackie Malone Carter Jr  Born:  October 3, 1957 Died: August 30, 2022 Jackie Malone Carter Jr., aged 65, passed away on August 30, 2022, in Twentynine Palms, CA. Born on October 3, 1957 in San Diego, CA, Jackie, known affectionately as Jack, was a beloved figure in his community, especially known for his dedication to…

Clara Ester, an activist who as a 20-year-old college student rushed to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s side when he was shot, has died. Ester, who died on July 9 at the age of 78, was among a few remaining witnesses to King’s assassination and its immediate aftermath in Memphis. With the passing of…

By Tarshua Carter Williamson Television has lost one of its most recognizable and dependable performers. Veteran actor Hal Williams, whose career spanned more than five decades and helped shape some of television’s most beloved Black sitcoms, has died at the age of 91. His manager confirmed that Williams passed away on July 15 at his…

By Crusader Staff For nearly four decades, millions of Americans welcomed Tony Brown into their homes each week. But Brown was never interested in simply hosting another television program. He wanted to transform the way Black America saw itself—and the way the nation saw Black America. Brown, the pioneering journalist, broadcaster, educator and civil rights…

By Phyllis Qualls and Tennessee Tribune Staff Contributors IN MEMORIAM: The Tennessee Tribune family mourns the passing of its founder, publisher and chief executive officer, Rosetta Miller Perry Rosetta Miller-Perry, trailblazer, visionary, bridge builder and motivator, passed peacefully on Friday, June 26, surrounded by family. She was 91. Shortly after she passed, the family posted…

By Jacksonville Free Press Peabo Bryson, the two-time Grammy Award-winning R&B singer whose powerful voice helped define romantic ballads and Disney movie classics, has died at age 75 after suffering a stroke, according to family members. Bryson passed away June 2 surrounded by family. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Bryson became one…

By MSR News Online Rob Base, born Robert Ginyard and one half of the legendary hip-hop duo Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, passed away peacefully on May 22, 2026, at age 59 after a private battle with cancer, leaving behind a legacy rooted in the 1988 anthem It Takes Two and a pioneering role…

PASADENA, CA — Ruthie Hopkins, co-founder and publisher of The Pasadena/SanGabriel Valley Journal News and one of the San Gabriel Valley’s most celebratedcommunity voices, passed away on Saturday, May 9, 2026. She was 83.Born October 16, 1942, in Oakland, California, Hopkins relocated to Altadena in 1969,where she would spend the next five decades building a…

By MSR News Online Minnesota and the world lost a powerful voice and a true warrior on April 7, 2026. Yusef Mgeni is gone, but his legacy will echo for generations. Yusef was a brilliant historian, a community organizer, a former St. Paul educator, and a fierce advocate for Black people. He carried with him…

By Charlene Crowell  The nation’s long farewell to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson mirrors his six decades of service to our country and the world. During the first week of March, in cities across the country, celebrations of Rev. Jackson’s remarkable life of service will be observed as he lies in honor at the South…

The Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda mourns the loss of one of the most influential civil rights warriors in modern history, Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. From Operation Breadbasket, to his historic presidential campaigns, to his decades of leadership at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Rev. Jackson dedicated his life to service, justice, and economic…

By Stacy M. Brown The losses came steadily in 2025, not as a single rupture but as a quiet procession. Voices that once filled sanctuaries, arenas, studios, television screens, and living rooms went still. The year closed with Black America taking inventory not only of who died, but of what each life carried into the…

Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Betty Reid Soskin, the nation’s oldest former active National Park Service ranger and a lifelong witness to and advocate for Black history, died peacefully on Dec. 21, 2025, at her home in Richmond, California. She was 104. Surrounded by family and friends, Soskin closed a life that spanned…

By Lauren Burke The six-decade career of legendary artist Jimmy Cliff, who was born in the Somerton District of Jamaica, was one of the most influential in reggae history and a global ambassador for Jamaican culture. Cliff was raised in a rural farming community and began writing songs as a child. His family moved to…

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Charlie Rangel, the long-term Congressman and a heavyweight in New York politics as a member of Harlem’s “Gang of Four”, has died at 94. By Lauren Burke Charlie Rangel, the long-term Congressman and a heavyweight in New York politics as a member of Harlem’s “Gang of Four”, has died at 94. His…

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff and a global voice for the poor, immigrants, and the environment, died Monday at age 88. By Stacy M. Brown Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff and a global voice for the poor, immigrants, and the environment, died Monday at age 88. Cardinal Kevin…

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor NNPA NEWSWIRE — The music and the sound of Sam & Dave would come to define the “Stax sound” and more broadly, the sound of soul music for a generation. Sam & Dave delivered energetic performances that featured their hits including, “Soul Man” (1967), “Hold On, I’m Comin’”…

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor Baseball Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, who is Major League Baseball’s stolen bases leader and the all-time leadoff leader, has died at age 65. Henderson’s death came as a shock to many and several readers of online media expressed disbelief at the news. Henderson’s death was confirmed by…

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family,” says Pat Houston, the daughter-in-law of Cissy Houston. “Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community. Her more…

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Amos’ acting career spanned over five decades, with his most iconic role being that of James Evans Sr., the no-nonsense, hard-working father on the groundbreaking CBS sitcom Good Times (1974–1979). The show, which was the first sitcom to center on an African American family, became a cultural touchstone, and Amos’ portrayal of…

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent Frankie Beverly, the iconic frontman of the soul, R&B, and funk band Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly, has died at the age of 76. His family confirmed the news in a devastating post on social media. “Grieving the loss of a loved one is a deeply personal…