Hazel N. Dukes (1932–2025), longtime civil rights activist

Hazel N. Dukes was a longtime New York-based civil rights activist who once served as president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. 

Peter Yarrow (1938–2025), Peter, Paul and Mary singer

Peter Yarrow was a singer-songwriter and guitarist with the legendary folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary, known for their song “Puff the Magic Dragon.”

Nikki Giovanni (1943–2024), celebrated poet and activist

Nikki Giovanni was an iconic poet of the 1960s and ‘70s Black Arts Movement who authored more than 30 books.

Sir Lady Java (1942–2024), entertainer and transgender rights activist 

Sir Lady Java was a noted singer, dancer, and entertainer of the 1960s and ‘70s club scene in Los Angeles who became an early transgender activist.

Barbara Dane (1927–2024), folk singer and activist

Barbara Dane was a folk, blues, and jazz singer who spent her career fighting for peace and justice through the power of song.

Bill Lucy (1933–2024), 1960s labor leader, civil rights activist

Bill Lucy was a labor leader and civil rights activist best known for his work during and after the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike. 

Elias Khoury (1948–2024), Lebanese novelist and activist

Elias Khoury was an award-winning novelist, author of “Gates of the Sun,” and activist from Lebanon best known as an advocate for the Palestinian cause.

Michael Lerner (1943–2024), activist and founder of Tikkun magazine

Rabbi Michael Lerner was a political and social activist, as well as the founder of the progressive faith-based magazine, Tikkun. 

Joyce Brabner (1952–2024), comics writer and activist 

Joyce Brabner was a comic book writer, social activist, and the widow of independent comics creator .

Lynn Conway (1938–2024), microchip pioneer and transgender activist

Lynn Conway was a microchip design pioneer and transgender activist who helped shape how modern semiconductors are made, literally writing the book on the topic.

Rev. James M. Lawson Jr. (1928–2024), civil rights leader

Rev. James M. Lawson Jr. was a civil rights leader whose focus on non-violent protest proved highly influential to and helped shape the 1960s civil rights movement.

Beverly LaHaye (1929–2024), conservative activist and author 

Beverly LaHaye was a conservative activist, author and founder of Concerned Women for America who became a powerful voice in opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, gay rights, and other social issues.

John Sinclair (1941–2024), poet, activist and counterculture icon 

John Sinclair was a Detroit-based poet, activist, and counterculture icon as well as the manager of the pioneering rock group MC5.

Ramona Edelin (1945–2024), activist who coined the term African American

Ramona Edelin was an academic and civil rights activist who helped bring the term African American into widespread use. 

Linda Bean (1941–2024), conservative activist and philanthropist  

Linda Bean was a conservative activist and philanthropist, as well as the granddaughter of Leon Leonwood Bean, founder of the outdoor wear company L.L. Bean. 

Julie Robinson Belafonte (1928–2024), actress and activist 

Julie Robinson Belafonte was an actress and activist best known as the longtime wife of . 

Cola Boyy (1990–2024), pop musician and disability rights activist 

Matthew Urango , better known as Cola Boyy , was a disabled pop musician and songwriter whose singles included “Penny Girl” and “Kid Born in Space.” 

Dorie Ladner (1942–2024), Freedom Riders civil rights activist 

Dorie Ladner was a civil rights activist whose efforts included being arrested for attempting to have lunch at a segregated Woolworth lunch counter and jailed for picketing in the 1962 Jackson, Mississippi boycotts.

Ben Stern (1921–2024), Holocaust survivor who clashed with Neo-Nazis 

Ben Stern was a Holocaust Survivor who moved to the United States and opposed Neo-Nazis well into his 90s. 

David Mixner (1946–2024), gay rights activist and author 

David Mixner was a gay rights activist and author who cofounded the LGBTQ+ Victory fund and broke ways with President Bill Clinton over his “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. 

Naomi Barber King (1931–2024), civil rights activist 

Naomi Barber King was a civil rights activist who married Rev. Alfred Daniel Williams King (1930–1969), brother of Rev. .

Anne Whitfield (1938–2024), actress in White Christmas

Anne Whitfield was an actress best known for playing Susan Waverly in the classic Hollywood musical, “White Christmas.”

Hydeia Broadbent (1984–2024), HIV/AIDS activist born HIV-positive

Hydeia Broadbent was an HIV/AIDS activist who, after being born HIV-positive, devoted her life to pushing for education and awareness of HIV/AIDS-related issues.

Alexei Navalny (1976–2024), Russian opposition leader 

Alexei Navalny was an anticorruption activist and politician who led the Russian opposition to President Vladimir Putin. 

Brooke Ellison (1978–2024), prominent disability rights advocate 

Brooke Ellison was a prominent disability rights activist, author, professor, and a noted advocate for stem cell research.

Cecilia Gentili (1972–2024), Pose actress and LGBTQ+ activist

Cecilia Gentili was an author, actress known for playing Miss Orlando on “Pose,” and an LGBTQ+ rights activist who advocated for health and wellness among the community.

Elmore Nickleberry (1931–2023), 1968 Memphis sanitation strike worker 

Elmore Nickleberry was a sanitation worker and activist who took part in the 1968 strikes in Memphis, Tennessee, and marched alongside to fight for better working conditions and pay.

Klee Benally (1975–2023), Navajo activist and musician 

Klee Benally was a Navajo activist, artist, writer, and musician who fought to protect sacred sites, battled for Native American rights, and co-founded the political punk band Blackfire.

Mbongeni Ngema (1955–2023), playwright who spotlighted apartheid

Mbongeni Ngema was a South African playwright, composer, and activist whose 1988 musical, “Sarafina!” took aim at apartheid.0

Juanita Castro (1933–2023), anti-communist sister of Fidel Castro

Juanita Castro was an anti-communist activist and author who opposed her brothers, Cuban leaders Fidel Castro and Raíºl Castro, and Cuban Revolution leader Ramón Castro. 

Ady Barkan (1983–2023), argued for healthcare reform 

Ady Barkan was a lawyer and activist who fought to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system in favor of a single-payer system, continuing his advocacy even after being diagnosed with ALS in 2016.

Bob Barker (1923–2023), longtime host of The Price Is Right

Bob Barker was the Emmy Award-winning host of the long-running game show “The Price Is Right.”

Léa Garcia (1933–2023), Brazilian actress in Black Orpheus

Léa Garcia was a Brazilian actress best known for the Academy Award-winning 1959 film “Black Orpheus.” 

Catherine Burks-Brooks (1939–2023), Freedom Rider 

Catherine Burks-Brooks was a civil rights activist who joined the Freedom Riders as they campaigned for anti-segregation laws to be enforced in the South. 

Jane Birkin (1946–2023), singer, actress, and model

Jane Birkin was a prolific British and French actress and singer, as well as the inspiration for the sought-after Birkin Bag from Hermès, one of the most exclusive accessories in fashion.

Rev. Steve Pieters (1952–2023), longtime HIV/AIDS activist 

Rev. Dr. A. Steve Pieters was an influential HIV/AIDS activist whose interview with in 1985 helped begin to shift public opinion on the outbreak and how to confront it.

Lilli Vincenz (1937–2023), pioneering gay rights activist 

Lilli Vincenz was a filmmaker, psychotherapist, and LGBTQIA+ activist among the first lesbians to openly protest for equal treatment in front of the White House.

Daniel Ellsberg (1931–2023), Pentagon Papers whistleblower

Daniel Ellsberg was a political activist who exposed the Pentagon Papers, top-secret documents that analyzed U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Gloria Molina (1948–2023), trailblazing California politician

Gloria Molina was the first Latina elected to the California State Assembly, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and the Los Angeles City Council.

Harry Belafonte (1927–2023), legendary singer, actor, and activist

Harry Belafonte was the “King of Calypso,” a singer known for his signature song, “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song),” as well as an actor and a prominent civil rights activist.

Randall Robinson (1941–2023), anti-apartheid activist 

Randall Robinson was a prominent anti-apartheid activist who founded the advocacy organization TransAfrica.

Judy Heumann (1947–2023), disability rights activist

Judy Heumann was an activist who spent her entire adult life advocating for disability rights. Her work helped lead to the Americans with Disabilities Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Rehabilitation Act. She helped make New York City schools wheelchair accessible, served as an advisor to the World Bank, and was assistant secretary of the U.S. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, among many other accomplishments.

David Harris (1946–2023), Vietnam War draft resistance activist

David Harris was an activist and journalist who led the movement against the Vietnam War draft.

Dorothy Pitman Hughes (1938–2022), Ms. Magazine co-founder

Dorothy Pitman Hughes was a pioneering feminist who worked closely with Gloria Steinem to fight for women’s rights.

Patrick Haggerty (1944–2022), pioneering gay country musician   

Patrick Haggerty was a pioneering gay country musician who founded Lavender Country, believed to be the first openly gay country band.

Sacheen Littlefeather (1946–2022), activist who declined Marlon Brando’s Oscar

Sacheen Littlefeather was an actress and Native American activist who made news when she appeared at the 1973 Academy Awards to decline Oscar.

Barbara Ehrenreich (1941–2022), bestselling author of “Nickel and Dimed”

Barbara Ehrenreich was the author of books including “Nickel and Dimed,” in which she shared her experiences living on minimum wage.

John Rensenbrink (1928–2022), Green Party co-founder

John Rensenbrink was a co-founder of the Green Party of the United States, the fourth-largest political party in the U.S.

Albert Woodfox (1947–2022), former prisoner and celebrated author

Albert Woodfox was one of the “Angola Three” prisoners, who were held in solitary confinement for decades, before his post-release life as a prison reform activist.