Nancy Leftenant-Colon (1920–2025), Army Nurse Corps trailblazer

Nancy Leftenant-Colon was a nurse who broke the color barrier when she became the first Black woman to join the U.S. Army Nurse Corps following its desegregation in the 1940s.

Clifton R. Wharton Jr. (1926–2024), former president of MSU

Clifton R. Wharton Jr. was a former Michigan State University president and deputy secretary of state who broke racial barriers when he took the MSU post in 1970.

Thelma Mothershed Wair (1940–2024), Little Rock Nine member

Thelma Mothershed Wair was the oldest of the Little Rock Nine, a group of Black students who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957, prompting one of the most important civil rights clashes in American history. 

Toni Vaz (1922–2024), NAACP Image Award creator

Toni Vaz was an actress and the first Black stuntwoman in Hollywood, best known for being the creator of the NAACP Image Awards.

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. 

Peter Buxtun (1937–2024), Tuskegee syphilis experiment whistleblower 

Peter Buxtun was a United States Public Health Service employee who revealed that the U.S. government had been experimenting on Black men without their knowledge, a “study” which came to be known as the Tuskegee syphilis experiment. 

Tessie Prevost Williams (1954–2024), pioneer of early desegregation

Tessie Prevost Williams was a pioneer of early desegregation who was among the first to attend integrated schools in New Orleans.

Romay Johnson Davis (1919–2024), WWII Women’s Army Corps vet

Romay Johnson Davis was a World War II veteran and a member of the first all-female, all-Black Army Corps unit deployed overseas during the conflict. 

Willie Mays (1931–2024), all-time baseball legend

Willie Mays was a legendary MLB outfielder who played most of his career for the New York/San Francisco Giants. He was often called the greatest baseball player of all time.

William Goines (1936–2024), America’s first Black Navy SEAL

William Goines was a decorated U.S. Navy veteran who was the first Black SEAL and a Lone Sailor award recipient.

Rev. Bill Lawson (1928–2024), civil rights leader who worked with MLK

Rev. William “Bill” Lawson was a Houston civil rights leader who helped peacefully integrate his city and worked alongside

Donald M. Payne Jr. (1958–2024), six-term U.S. Congressman from N.J.

Donald M. Payne Jr., was a second-generation United States congressman from New Jersey who served six terms in office, following in the footsteps of his namesake congressman father.

Terry Carter (1928–2024), Battlestar Galactica, McCloud star

Terry Carter was an actor and Emmy Award-winning producer best known as the original Col. Tigh on Battlestar Galactica and Sgt. Joe Broadhurst on McCloud.

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.

Nerene Virgin (1946–2024), star of Today’s Special 

Nerene Virgin was a Canadian actress and journalist who starred in the 1980s children’s TV show “Today’s Special.”

Helen Williams (1935–2023), pioneering model

Helen Williams was one of the first Black models to appear widely in national publications in the U.S.

Bobby “Bingo” Smith (1946–2023), Cleveland Cavaliers all-time great

Bobby “Bingo” Smith was an all-time great for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers who was part of the Miracle of Richfield squad and had his number retired.

Hughes Van Ellis (1921–2023), Tulsa Race Massacre survivor

Hughes Van Ellis was one of the last three survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

Charles Ogletree (1952–2023), Pres. Obama's Harvard law mentor

Charles Ogletree was an attorney and Harvard law professor who served as a mentor to the Obamas and represented clients such as Anita Hill and Tupac Shakur, as well as advocating for victims of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre.

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. 

Evelyn Boyd Granville (1924–2023), NASA mathematician 

Evelyn Boyd Granville was a mathematician who worked with NASA to help safely send some of the first astronauts into space.

C.R. Roberts (1936–2023), football star who defied segregation

C.R. Roberts was a college football star with the USC Trojans who went on to play for Canada's Toronto Argonauts and the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, following a historic college career that included beatingan all-white team in the segregated South.

Vincent Stewart (1958–2023), Defense Intelligence Agency director 

Vincent Stewart was the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the first Black man and first Marine to hold that position.

Herb Douglas (1922–2023), oldest living U.S. Olympic medalist

Herb Douglas was a track and field star who won a bronze medal in long jump at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.

Greg Foster (1958–2023), world champion hurdler 

Greg Foster was an American hurdler. He is the only person to win three consecutive World Championship titles in the sport.

Gregory Allen Howard (1952–2023), Remember the Titans screenwriter

Gregory Allen Howard was a screenwriter known for writing the screenplays to movies including “Remember the Titans” and “Harriet.”

Harold Brown (1924–2023), U.S. Air Force officer, Tuskegee Airman

Harold Brown was a U.S. Air Force veteran who flew missions in World War II and the Korean War. He was one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, the group of primarily Black pilots who earned an outstanding combat record despite military segregation.

Daniel Smith (1932–2022), last known living child of an enslaved American

Daniel Smith was believed to have been the last living child of a formerly enslaved American.

Nichelle Nichols (1932–2022), starred as Uhura on “Star Trek”

Nichelle Nichols , the actress whose portrayal of Lieutenant Uhura on TV's “Star Trek” inspired countless science fiction fans to envision a peacefully multicultural future, died Saturday night, her son announced on her official website.

Adam Wade (1935–2022), singer, actor, and pioneering game show host

Adam Wade was a singer and actor, as well as the first Black game show host in U.S. TV history.

Clifford Alexander Jr. (1933–2022), first Black secretary of the Army

Clifford Alexander Jr. was an advisor to presidents who became the first Black secretary of the Army.

Alexander Jefferson (1921–2022), Tuskegee Airman

Alexander Jefferson was a U.S. Air Force veteran who served as a Tuskegee Airman in World War II.

A Memorial Tribute to U.S. Veterans Who Died in 2021-2022

This Memorial Day, we set out to share the incredible true life stories of the American war vets who died in 2021 and 2022. This eight-minute tribute video is a very special mini-episode of Legacy's "Immortalized" series, honoring the brave men and women who served in World War II, the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

Autherine Lucy Foster (1929–2022), first Black student at the University of Alabama

Autherine Lucy Foster was an icon of the civil rights movement as the first Black student to attend the University of Alabama.

Ashley Bryan (1923–2022), award-winning children’s author and illustrator

Ashley Bryan wrote and illustrated award-winning children’s books including “Beat the Story-Drum, Pum Pum” and Beautiful Blackbird.”

Cheslie Kryst (1991–2022), former Miss USA and “Extra” correspondent

Cheslie Kryst was an attorney and TV correspondent named Miss USA in 2019.

Lusia Harris (1955–2022), only woman ever drafted by the NBA

Lusia Harris was a basketball pioneer and the only woman ever drafted by the NBA.

André Leon Talley (1948–2022), fashion icon and former Vogue editor-at-large

Andr é Leon Talley was the former editor-at-large of Vogue magazine and an icon of the fashion world.

Charles E. McGee (1919–2022), Tuskegee Airman who flew in three wars

Charles E. McGee was a Tuskegee Airman who flew combat missions in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

Chris Dickerson (1939–2021), first Black Mr. America

Chris Dickerson was a bodybuilder who became the first Black man to win the Mr. America title, in 1970.

Sidney Poitier (1927–2022), one of the 20th century's greatest actors

Sir Sidney Poitier was an acting legend who starred in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for best actor, for his performance in "Lilies of the Field."

Watch Legacy's Heartfelt Tribute to the Celebs Who Died in 2021

We had to say goodbye to so many people in 2021 -- more than usual, both in our communities and in the headlines. In Legacy's memorial video, we pay tribute to the beloved artists, leaders, and other well-known public figures who died in 2021.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931–2021), who helped end apartheid in South Africa

Desmond Tutu was a South African Anglican cleric, outspoken opponent of apartheid and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Lucille Times (1921-2021), civil rights activist who fought Rosa Parks's bus driver

Lucille Times was a civil rights activist in Montgomery, Alabama, who started a one-woman bus boycott in 1955 shortly before Martin Luther King Jr. took the boycott citywide to protest Montgomery's discrimination against Black Americans.

Eloise Greenfield (1929–2021), children’s author who depicted Black lives

Eloise Greenfield was a children’s author whose picture books told stories of Black lives and history.

Bob Moses (1935–2021), civil rights activist

Bob Moses was a civil rights activist known for his work in the South registering Black voters in the 1960s.

Gloria Richardson (1922–2021), civil rights activist

Gloria Richardson was a civil rights activist known for her role in intense protests in early-1960s Cambridge, Maryland.

Henry Parham (1921–2021), soldier with only all-Black unit on D-Day

Henry Parham was at U.S. Army veteran of World War II who was the last known living member of the only all-Black unit to land on the beach at Normandy on D-Day.

Merle Smith (1944–2021), first Black graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Cmdr. Merle Smith was a U.S. Coast Guard veteran who was the first Black graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.