Obituaries

2026 saw the passing of many influential figures, from actors and musicians to activists and pioneers, leaving behind lasting legacies.

Academy Award winning actress Brenda Fricker has died, leaving behind a celebrated career that spanned decades on stage and screen. RELATED: Remember These? Black ’90s Sitcoms We Grew Up Watching RELATED: Houston Texans Co-Founder Janice McNair Dies at 89 For many fans, Fricker will always be remembered as the compassionate Pigeon Lady in Home Alone […]

George E. Johnson, the founder of the pioneering Johnson Products Company focused on hair care, has died at 99.

Mother Khadijah and Louis Farrakhan would have celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary in September of this year. 

Music executive Clive Davis, who launched careers of stars like Whitney Houston, dies at 94 after decades shaping the industry.

Legendary funk drummer Fred Alexander Jr. of Lakeside band passes away, leaving a musical legacy.

Legendary R&B singer Peabo Bryson passes away at 75, leaving a musical legacy spanning decades of cherished love songs.

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 […]

Ron Kenoly, the powerhouse gospel singer and worship leader whose vibrant anthems like “Ancient of Days” and “Jesus Is Alive” became Sunday morning staples for Black churches and congregations worldwide, died Feb. 3. He was 81. His death was confirmed by his longtime music director, Bruno Miranda, who described Kenoly not as an entertainer, but […]

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.

As we’ve come to understand year after year, day after day even, death is unfortunately an inevitable part of life. Still, as much of a fact as that may be, the blow of experiencing loss never gets any easier, nor does reporting on the subject in Black culture.