Alysha Burney (2000–2025), social media star

Alysha Burney was a star of YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, where millions of followers watched her comedy videos.

Gwen McCrae (1943–2025), Rockin’ Chair singer 

Gwen McCrae was a soul, funk, and disco singer best known for her 1975 hit, “Rockin’ Chair.” 

Roberta Flack (1937–2025), Killing Me Softly with His Song singer

Roberta Flack was a singer who had No. 1 hits with “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.”

Olga James (1929–2025), Carmen Jones actress

Olga James was an actress and singer best known for her performance in the 1954 movie musical “Carmen Jones” opposite .

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.

Alfa Anderson (1946–2024), legend of disco with Chic

Alfa Anderson was a singer best known for her work with the disco icons Chic, who created enduring dance hits with songs like “Le Freak” and “Good Times.” 

Lorraine O’Grady (1934–2024), conceptual artist and cultural critic

Lorraine O’Grady was a conceptual artist and cultural critic who won acclaim late in life for her mixed-media work, which often explored race and cultural identity, especially from the perspective of a Black woman in the United States.

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.

Ella Jenkins (1924–2024), first lady of children’s music

Ella Jenkins was a singer and songwriter who focused on creating music for children during her entire decades-long career.

Tyka Nelson (1960–2024), singer and sister of Prince

Tyka Nelson was a Minneapolis-based singer who had a Top 40 song in 1988, and the lone full sibling of music legend  

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.

Cissy Houston (1933–2024), gospel singer and Whitney Houston’s mother

Cissy Houston was a legendary gospel and soul singer, as well as the mother of and the aunt of Dionne and .

Cat Glover (2024), Sign o' the Times dancer

Cat Glover was a singer, dancer and choreographer best known for her work with in the 1980s, most notably the “Sign o' the Times” concert film.

Cleo Sylvestre (1945–2024), trailblazing British actress and singer

Cleo Sylvestre was a British actress and singer who achieved several firsts, including being the first female vocalist to record with the Rolling Stones. 

Michaela DePrince (1995–2024), ballerina who danced with Beyonce

Michaela DePrince was a ballerina who rose from a war-torn childhood to become a rising international star of the dance world.

Tina McElroy Ansa (1949–2024), author explored the Black experience

Tina McElroy Ansa was an award-winning author best known for works like “Baby of the Family” and “Ugly Ways,” which explored the Black experience in the American South.

Betty A. Bridges (1941–2024), prolific actress and Todd Bridges’ mom

Betty A. Bridges was a teacher and actress known for guest spots on such TV shows as “Diff’rent Strokes,” on which she appeared alongside her son, Todd Bridges.

Erica Ash (1977–2024), MADtv and Survivor’s Remorse actress

Erica Ash was an actress best known for her comedy work in the Fox sketch comedy show “MADtv” and the Starz sitcom “Survivor’s Remorse.” 

Gail Lumet Buckley (1937–2024), author of Black family histories

Gail Lumet Buckley was an author and journalist whose work chronicled her family’s experiences from slavery to middle class America.

Evelyn Thomas (1953–2024), disco singer known for High Energy

Evelyn Thomas was a singer best known for her 1984 dance club hit, “High Energy.” 

Sheila Jackson Lee (1950–2024), 30-year congresswoman from Texas

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee was a 30-year congresswoman from Texas best known for her advocacy of progressive causes.

Bernice Johnson Reagon (1942–2024), founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock

Bernice Johnson Reagon was a singer, band leader, and social activist best known for performing with two influential singing ensembles: the 1960s protest group The Freedom Singers and the Grammy-nominated a cappella troupe Sweet Honey in the Rock.

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.

Pat Colbert (1947–2024), actress who played Dora Mae on Dallas

Pat Colbert was an actress best known for her performance on “Dallas” as Dora Mae, host of the Oil Baron’s Club.0

Shay Youngblood (1959–2024), award-winning novelist and playwright

Shay Youngblood was an award-winning novelist and playwright who explored her upbringing as a Black woman in America.

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. 

Jewel Brown (1937–2024), Houston jazz legend

Jewel Brown was a Houston jazz legend who for years performed with the band of jazz icon Louis Armstrong.

Mandisa (1976–2024), Grammy-winning American Idol finalist

Mandisa was a contemporary Christian singer who came to prominence when she competed in season five of “American Idol” in 2006.

Faith Ringgold (1930–2024), artist known for quilts 

Faith Ringgold was an artist and author known for her quilts, paintings and children’s books depicting Black American life.

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. 

Krystal Anderson (1983–2024), Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader

Krystal Lakeshia (Cunningham) Anderson was an engineer who created patented software to assess pregnancy risks and a former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader and yoga instructor.

Sandra Crouch (1942–2024), Grammy Award-winning gospel artist 

Sandra Crouch was a Grammy Award-winning gospel singer and songwriter who also performed on several Motown records and contributed songs by the Jackson 5.

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.

Lichelle “Boss” Laws (1969–2024), pioneering female rapper 

Lichelle Laws was better known as Boss, a pioneering rapper and the first woman signed to Def Jam Records.

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. .

Debra Byrd (1951–2024), American Idol’s head vocal coach 

Debra Byrd was a singer who recorded with Barry Manilow and Bob Dylan, as well as the head vocal coach on “American Idol.”  

Eleanor Collins (1919–2024), Canada's First Lady of Jazz

Eleanor Collins was a jazz singer widely known as Canada's First Lady of Jazz, who broke ground on television when she became the first woman and first Black artist in Canada to host her own national television series, “The Eleanor Show.” 

Janice Burgess (1952–2024), creator of The Backyardigans

Janice Burgess created the Nickelodeon animated show “The Backyardigans.”

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.

Etterlene DeBarge (1935–2024), gospel singer and musical matriarch 

Etterlene DeBarge was a gospel singer and the matriarch of the musical DeBarge family.

Wilhelmenia Fernandez (1949–2024), acclaimed operatic soprano

Wilhelmenia Fernandez was an operatic soprano who toured the world and starred in the cult classic 1981 film “Diva.” 

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.”

Vinie Burrows (1924–2023), actress in one-woman shows 

Vinie Burrows was an actress who got her start on Broadway before making her mark in one-women shows.

Sandra Reaves-Phillips (1944–2023), Lean on Me actress and singer

Sandra Reaves-Phillips was an actress and singer for both stage and screen, and who appeared in such films as “Lean on Me” and “Round Midnight.” 

Eddie Bernice Johnson (1935–2023), longtime U.S. Rep. from Texas

Eddie Bernice Johnson represented the Dallas area in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 until her retirement in 2023.

Zahara (1987–2023), South African music star

Zahara was a singer and songwriter who became a massive music star in South Africa with such chart-topping singles as “Phendula,” “Impilo,” and “Stay.” 

Nidra Beard (1952–2023), Dynasty lead singer 

Nidra Beard was the co-lead singer for the R&B group Dynasty, known for hits like “I’ve Just Begun to Love You.”

Ellen Holly (1931–2023), One Life to Live star 

Ellen Holly was an actress who starred as Carla Gray-Hall on “One Life to Life,” becoming the first Black star of a daytime soap opera.