Obituary
Obituary
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Douglas Turner Ward, Co-Founder of the Negro Ensemble Company, Dies at 90
Playwright. Tony-nominated actor. Director. Advocate. Those are just a few words to describe theater great Douglas Turner Ward, who died on Saturday, February 20 as confirmed to The New York Times by his wife. The Times reports that Ward passed away in his Manhattan home at 90 years old. The cause of his death has…
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Prince Markie Dee of Pioneering Hip-Hop Trio The Fat Boys Dead at 52
Prince Markie Dee, one of the founding members of the hip-hop trio The Fat Boys has died at the age of 52. No cause of death has been officially confirmed at this time. “Forever in my Heart. Prince Markie Dee was more than a rapper; he was one of my very best and closest friends,”…
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Rush Limbaugh, Spouter of Racist Hate-Filled Garbage, Dead at 70
Rush Limbaugh did a lot in his short life. Limbaugh not only became the poster child for mediocre white men boxing above their racist intelligence level, but he was also the king of radio racists, and on Wednesday after a battle with cancer, he died. He was 70 years old. Below is just a short…
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Ex-NFL Star Vincent Jackson Found Dead at 38
I don’t think any of us saw this one coming. On Monday, ESPN reports that former NFL wide receiver Vincent Jackson was found dead in a Florida hotel room. He was 38. His body was discovered at approximately 11:30 a.m. ET on Monday at the Homewood Suites in Brandon, Fla. While the cause of death…
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Mary Wilson, Co-Founding Member of The Supremes, Dies at 76
She was a Motown legend, bestselling author, music activist, former U.S. cultural ambassador and co-founding member of The Supremes—of which she was dubbed “the sexy one.” Entertainer Mary Wilson, best known as the longest-running member of the group she made famous alongside Diana Ross and Florence Ballard (and later, Cindy Birdsong) died on Monday night…
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Legendary Boxer and Former Heavyweight Champ Leon Spinks Dies at 67
Boxing legend Leon Spinks—who is most well known for his 1978 upset victory in the ring against Muhammad Ali—died Friday after a long battle with prostate cancer and other ailments. On Feb. 15, 1978, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Spinks, an undersized heavyweight, became the undisputed heavyweight champion after going toe-to-toe with Ali for 15 rounds…
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Dianne Durham, First Black Woman to Win a USA Gymnastics National Championship, Dies at 52
Before Dominique Dawes, Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas there was Dianne Durham. The first Black woman to win a USA Gymnastics national championship died in Chicago Thursday at age 52. According to the Associated Press, Durham’s husband, Tom Drahozal, said that she died of a “short illness” in a Chicago hospital with him and her…
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Comedic TV Writer Marc Wilmore, Brother of Larry Wilmore, Dies at 57
Marc Wilmore, the TV writer whose credits include In Living Color, The Simpsons, The PJs and F Is for Family, died last Saturday of COVID-19 and other health complications, his brother, TV writer and comedian, Larry Wilmore, announced Sunday on Twitter. “My sweet sweet brother, Marc Edward Wilmore, passed away last night while battling COVID…
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Cicely Tyson, Who Spent a Lifetime Portraying Positive Black Womanhood on Screen, Dies at 96
Through her graceful presence onstage, in film and on television, actress Cicely Tyson created portrayals of proud, even majestic women that helped break down America’s stereotypes regarding African-American women. The iconic star, who inspired a generation of Black actresses, died Thursday at the age of 96. Tyson was born on Dec. 19, 1924, in New…
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Celebrated NBA Analyst Sekou Smith Dies of COVID-19
This one hurts. Celebrated NBA analyst Sekou Smith, one of the most beloved figures within the NBA community, died Tuesday after a battle with COVID-19. He was 48. After graduating from Jackson State University in Mississippi, the Grand Rapids, Mich., native cut his teeth at the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson before becoming a beat writer for…