Obituaries

‘Nicest Judge In The World’ Frank Caprio Passes Away at 88 Judge Frank Caprio, affectionately known as the “nicest judge in the world,” has passed away at the age of 88 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Known for his compassion, humor, and humanity, Caprio became a global sensation through his viral courtroom moments […]

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.

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.

Abraham "Mr. CIAA" Mitchell, an HBCU sports legend who attended the CIAA basketball tournament for decades wearing suits with teams' colors, reportedly died.

The last 12 months marked the heartbreaking losses of so many iconic and transcendent Black figures in entertainment, business, sports, activism and beyond.

Nikki Giovanni, the legendary poet, author and activist whose career spanned nearly 60 years, has died. She was 81.

Tito Jackson, musician and member of the legendary Jackson family, reportedly passed away on Sept. 15 at the age of 70.

We are sad to report that Hollywood icon James Earl Jones has passed away at the age of 93.  The revered actor died Monday morning (Sept. 9) at his home in Dutchess County, NY, his reps at Independent Artist Group confirmed to Deadline. 

While death is inevitably a part of life, that truth doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye to those who have died in our Black culture.

Gena Rowlands, well-known for her role as “Elder Allie” in The Notebook, has died at 94 years old. Sources report that Rowlands passed on Wednesday in her California home (confirmed by her sons representative, according to Variety). The cause of death has not yet been revealed, however, the retired actress did battle with Alzheimers—a touching […]

Wallace "Wally" Amos, the founder of the iconic "Famous Amos" cookie brand, passed away on August 13 in Honolulu.