Former WNBA star Tiffany Jackson dead at 37
Tiffany Jackson, the record-breaking collegiate star who was a first-round draft pick in the WNBA, has died. She was 37. According to a statement by the University of Texas that was obtained by the New York Post, Jackson succumbed to breast cancer after a valiant six-year battle. Jackson, who was born in Longview, Texas, 120 […]
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Charles Fuller dead at 83
Charles Fuller, the transcendent playwright best known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning play A Soldier’s Play, has died. He was 83. Fuller’s death was confirmed by his wife, Claire Prieto-Fuller, according to The New York Times. Movie fans may be more familiar with the 1981 play that was made into the Oscar-nominated A Soldier’s Story three […]
Iconic, Grammy Award-winning rapper Coolio dies at 59
Iconic West Coast rapper Coolio died Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. According to the New York Times, “Mr. Jarez Posey, who worked with the rapper for more than 20 years, said he was told that Coolio was at a friend’s house in Los Angeles when he went to the bathroom. When he did not return for […]
Renowned jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis dead at 87
Ramsey Lewis, the legendary pianist and bass player born in Chicago, has died at 84. Lewis won three Grammys; R&B Instrumental Performance, R&B Performance by Duo or Group with Vocals and Jazz Instrumental Album. The news of his death follows four days after the release of his piano-only project, Ramsey Lewis – The Beatles Songbook. […]
Comedian David A. Arnold dead at 54
Comedian David A. Arnold died on Sept. 7 at 54, according to Deadline. Arnold headlined two Netflix comedy specials and was a writer and producer for “Fuller House.” “It is with great sadness that we confirm the untimely passing of our husband, father, brother and friend, David A. Arnold,” his family released in a statement. […]
CNN’s legendary former anchor Bernard Shaw is dead at 82
Bernard Shaw, the adulated arbiter of news and an original CNN anchor who began with the network when it launched in 1980, has died. He was 82. Shaw’s family said in a statement on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, that the universally-admired Shaw passed away after battling a non-COVID-related case of pneumonia. Shaw achieved national renown […]
Denise Dowse of ‘Insesure’ fame has died at 64
Actress Denise Dowse, who was best known for her roles in the hit shows “Insecure” and “Beverly Hills, 90210,” has passed away after a long bout with meningitis. She was 64. Dowse’s passing was confirmed by her older sister and the last remaining member of her family, Tracey Dowse. The surviving sister praised her younger sibling […]
Comedian Teddy Ray dead at 32
Another Black comedian has been taken away from the world too soon. On Aug. 12, multiple reports confirmed comedian Teddy Ray died at 32. His cause of death has not been reported. Ray was best known for his viral clip talking about a woman being “double-cheeked up” on a Thursday afternoon. In December 2021, Ray […]
Roger Mosley of ‘Magnum P.I.’ fame has died at 83
Actor Roger Mosley, who soared to fame in the role of helicopter pilot Theodore “TC” Calvin in the hit TV series “Magnum P.I.,” has died. He was 83. Mosley was involved in a tragic car crash last week that had left him paralyzed from the shoulders down. He never improved from being in critical condition […]
Pioneer Nichelle Nichols of ‘Star Trek’ fame dies at 89
Nichelle Nichols, the pioneering actress who soared to international fame — and into urbanites’ hearts — during the 1960s and 70s on the original “Star Trek” series, has died. She was 89. Nichols was a paragon of beauty, grace and eloquence in the role of Uhuru that Black Americans could easily embrace and champion during […]
NBA players mourn the death of titan Bill Russell at age 88
Bill Russell, the colossus NBA player and civil rights advocate who arguably accomplished as much as any athlete in American history, has died at age 88. With numbers that still confound his contemporaries in the athletic world, Russell won an unprecedented 11 championships in 13 years with the Boston Celtiics in the 1960s, including the […]
Mary Alice Smith of ‘A Different World’ fame is dead at 84
Legendary and award-winning actress Mary Alice Smith, who is best known to younger urbanites for her role in “A Different World,” has died. She was 84. Smith, who went by her stage name of “Mary Alice,” is one of the rare African American thespians who won both an Emmy Award and Tony Award back in […]
7 Black NFL and NBA players who died too soon in 2022
The year 2022 has logged a a number of tragic losses, including in the sports world. Here are seven Black NFL and NBA deaths in 2022. Marion Barber III Barber was 38 when he was found dead on June 1 in Frisco, Texas. The official cause of death was a heat stroke. Barber was a […]
Black Information Network VP Tanita Myers dead at 49
One of the leaders of the Black Information Network, Tanita Myers, died on July 13 in New Orleans. She was 49. “Tanita was a passionate leader, a champion of women in journalism, and one of the driving forces behind the Black Information Network,” Tony Coles, division president for iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group and BIN president, wrote […]
Oprah Winfrey’s father dies at 89
The father of billionaire media magnate Oprah Winfrey, Vernon Winfrey, has died. He was 89. Vernon Winfrey lost his battle with cancer on June 8, 2022, after a long fight, the maven told her Instagram followers on Saturday afternoon. Winfrey, who is known mononomously worldwide as Oprah, ensured that her ailing father, who could no […]
1st Black quarterback of Super Bowl era dies at 76
Marlin Briscoe, the first Black starting quarterback in the American Football League, died at the age of 76 on June 27, 2022, after battling pneumonia. We are saddened by the passing of legend Marlin Briscoe, who was the first Black starting quarterback in the AFL. Marlin was a pioneer of the game and his legacy […]
Willie Lee Morrow, inventor of the Afro pick, dies at 82
The inventor of the Afro pick, Willie Lee Morrow, died on June 22, 2022. He was 82. Morrow established himself in San Diego, California, in 1959, where he felt there was an opportunity for him to grow. He taught himself the basics of barbering and chemistry, and used those skills to begin his hair care […]
Suspect named in shooting death of Atlanta rapper Trouble
The police in suburban Atlanta have issued an arrest warrant for the suspect in the shooting death of rapper Trouble. He was 34 years old. The emcee who was born Mariel Semonte Orr was shot to death when a male gunman broke into the home of the woman Trouble was visiting and began shooting in […]
Former NFL Pro Bowler dies unexpectedly at age 38
Police in Frisco, Texas, responded to a welfare concern on June 1 at an apartment and found former Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears running back, Marion Barber III, dead at the age of the 38. The apartment was assumed to be leased by Barber. In a statement, the police say they were investigating an unattended […]
NFL star Jeff Gladney and girlfriend die in accident (video)
NFL cornerback Jeff Gladney and his girlfriend died when they were involved in a horrific car crash in Dallas. On Monday, the Dallas County Sheriffs Department stated that Gladney, a defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals, and his girlfriend Mercedes Palacios, were killed when their Mercedes-Benz SUV clipped another vehicle and flipped over on the […]