By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
This week, the AFRO reflects on the lives and legacies left behind by leaders, entertainers and noted members of the community. Take a look at the notable Black figures who died in 2025, leaving behind loved ones and legacies that will surely last beyond their lifetime.
- Sam Moore
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Brandon Dill, File
Sam Moore, the electrifying tenor behind the legendary soul duo Sam & Dave, died Jan. 10 in Coral Gables, Fla., from complications following surgery. He was 89. Celebrated for hits such as “Soul Man,” “Hold On, I’m Coming,” and “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby,” Moore helped define 1960s soul music alongside partner Dave Prater. Signed to Atlantic Records and nurtured at Stax by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, the duo earned Grammy honors and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1992. After overcoming addiction, Moore enjoyed a long career, performing for six U.S. presidents and earning admiration from generations of artists.
- Angie Stone
Photo Credit: AP Photo
Angie Stone, a soul and R&B singer and songwriter, died on March 1 at the age of 63 in a car crash in Montgomery, Ala. Born Angela Laverne Brown on Dec. 18, 1961, in Columbia, S.C., she began her career as a teenager by co‑founding The Sequence, a female rap trio and one of the first all-women groups signed to the emerging hip-hop industry.
After her early hip-hop work, Stone transitioned into soulful R&B and neo-soul. Her 1999 solo debut, “Black Diamond,” launched a career spanning more than two decades, producing hits including “No More Rain (In This Cloud),” “Brotha” and “Wish I Didn’t Miss You.”
- George Foreman
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Lennox McLendon, File
George Foreman, legendary boxer, Olympic champion and entrepreneur, died March 21 at age 76. He won a heavyweight gold medal at the 1968 Olympics and became world heavyweight champion in 1973.
Despite his loss to Muhammad Ali in the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle,” he staged a comeback in 1994 and regained the heavyweight crown at age 45, becoming the oldest man to win the title in boxing history. Outside the ring, he became a household name with the George Foreman Grill.
- Alexis Herman
Photo Credit: AP Photo/J.Scott Applewhite
Alexis Herman, the first Black U.S. secretary of labor, died on April 25 at age 77. Born in Mobile, Ala., on July 16, 1947, she contributed to American politics and women’s rights.
She served as secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton (D) from 1997 to 2001. Prior to that, she held positions in social work and civil rights advocacy, including social worker for Catholic Charities in 1969 and director of the Women’s Bureau at the U.S. Department of Labor. She was known for her dedication to minority and women’s workplace rights.
- Norman Hutchins
Norman Hutchins, pastor and gospel singer, died on June 5 at age 62. Born Sept. 27, 1962, in Delaware, he began preaching at age 8 and was ordained at 12. Hutchins launched his solo music career in 1992, releasing 10 albums over 21 years, seven of which charted on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart. He earned multiple Dove and Stellar Award nominations and a Grammy nomination.
- Sly Stone
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File
Sly Stone, musician and funk pioneer, died on June 9 at age 82. As frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, he fused gospel, soul, rock, funk and psychedelia into a sound that defined the late 1960s and early 1970s. Hits like “Everyday People” and “Dance to the Music” promoted unity, equality and social change.
- Esaw Snipes-Garner
Esaw Snipes-Garner, mother and activist, died on June 18 at age 58. She became known for her advocacy following the death of her husband, Eric Garner, in 2014, which sparked national discussion on police brutality.
- Lynn Hamilton
Lynn Hamilton, best known as Verdie Foster on “The Waltons” and nurse Donna Harris on “Sanford and Son,” died on June 19 at age 95 in Chicago. Her career included roles on “Gunsmoke,” “The Young and the Restless,” “Good Times,” “Dangerous Women,” and more than 130 episodes of “Generations.”
- Mosie “Mama” Burks
Mosie “Mama” Burks, gospel pioneer and lead vocalist of the Mississippi Mass Choir, died on July 7 at 92. Born June 18, 1933, in Harpersville, Miss., she brought gospel staples such as “They Got the Word,” “I’m Not Tired Yet,” and “This Morning When I Rose” to life with her iconic voice, defining the choir’s mission and sound worldwide.
- Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Photo Credit: AP Photo/ Jordan Strauss
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, actor and poet, died on July 20 at 54 from drowning while on vacation in Costa Rica. Best known as Theodore “Theo” Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” Warner earned an Emmy nomination for his eight-season performance. Fans remembered him as a relatable representation of Black youth and as a positive portrayal of Black middle-class family life on television.
- Rahaman Ali
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley
Rahaman Ali, boxer and youngest brother of Muhammad Ali, died on Aug. 1 in Louisville, Ky., at age 82. He boxed professionally in the 1960s and 1970s and also served as his brother’s sparring partner and corner man.
- Danielle Spencer
Danielle Spencer, actress known for depicting Dee Thomas on “What’s Happening,” died on Aug. 11 at 60 of gastric cancer and cardiac arrest. Born June 24, 1965, in the Bronx, N.Y., she was the first Black female child to feature regularly in a network TV series. Her legacy is recognized at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
- Vivian Ayers Allen
Vivian Ayers Allen, poet and cultural activist, died on Aug. 18 at 102. She authored “Spice of Dawns” and the verse novel “Hawk,” advocating for arts education and literacy. She was Rice University’s first African-American faculty member and influenced generations of youth and the arts.
- Dr. Clayton C. Stansbury Jr.
Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of March Funeral Homes
Dr. Clayton C. Stansbury Jr., educator and Morgan State University alumnus, died on Aug. 30 at 93. Born March 20, 1932, in Havre de Grace, Md., he served as a counselor and dean of the Honors College. His funeral on Sept. 16 drew hundreds of students, alumni, faculty and friends.
- Dr. Earl S. Richardson
Photo Credit: Photos courtesy of Meta (Facebook) / Morgan State University
Dr. Earl S. Richardson, Morgan State president from 1984 to 2010, died at 81 on Sept. 13. He led the University through its “Renaissance,” expanding doctoral programs and adding schools including Architecture and Planning, Social Work, and Global Journalism and Communication.
- Assata Shakur
Photo Credit: Credit: Photo courtesy Dhoruba bin Wahid via New York Amsterdam News
Assata Shakur, political activist and Black Panther Party member, died on Sept. 29 in Cuba. Born JoAnne Deborah Byron on July 16, 1947, she later adopted the name Assata Shakur. She became a prominent voice for freedom and justice and fled to Cuba after a life sentence for involvement in a state trooper’s death.
- Arthur Jones
Arthur Jones, former Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman and Super Bowl champion, died at 39 on Oct. 3. He helped the Ravens win the 2013 Super Bowl and later played for the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders. He was the older brother of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Jon Jones and former Ravens player Chandler Jones.
- Ike Turner Jr.
Ike Turner Jr., Grammy-winning musician and son of Tina and Ike Turner Sr., died on Oct. 4 at 67 of kidney failure. He began touring with his father at age 13 and later earned a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album for his contributions to “Risin’ With the Blues.”
- Dr. Paulette C. Walker
Dr. Paulette C. Walker, former national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and educator, died on Oct. 8 at 77. She served as the 25th national president from 2013 to 2017 and influenced countless students throughout her career as a teacher, counselor, assistant principal and supervisor of state and federal programs.
- D’Angelo
Photo Credit: Photo by Cheryl Gerber/Invision/AP, File
D’Angelo, Grammy-winning neo-soul star, died on Oct. 14 at 51 after a long battle with cancer. Born Michael Archer on Feb. 11, 1974, he rose to fame with his 1995 debut, “Brown Sugar,” and helped define the neo-soul movement with his 2000 album “Voodoo,” featuring the track “Untitled (How Does It Feel).
- Herb Brown
Herb Brown, Baltimore businessman, civic leader and World War II veteran, died on Nov. 4 at 101. He founded Mondawmin Travel Agency in 1968, one of two Black-owned businesses in the West Baltimore mall, and co-founded the Vanguard Organization, helping elect several Black politicians, including state Sen. Verda Welcome.
- Marshawn Kneeland
Marshawn Kneeland, defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys, died on Nov. 6 at 24. Police are investigating his death as a potential suicide. Drafted in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Western Michigan, he played in 18 games and scored his first NFL touchdown by recovering a blocked punt.
- Viola Ford Fletcher
Viola Ford Fletcher, one of the last known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, died on Nov. 24 at 111. She was 7 years old when the massacre destroyed Greenwood, Tulsa’s thriving Black neighborhood, uprooting her family. In later years, she worked to preserve Greenwood’s memory and advocate for justice.
- Jimmy Cliff
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File
Jimmy Cliff, the charismatic and pioneering reggae star and actor, died Nov. 24 from a “seizure followed by pneumonia,” family members reported. He was 81.
The native Jamaican, whose tenor voice and gift for catchy, timely lyrics made him popular with audiences worldwide, was once the genre’s most prominent artist. He paved the way for then-emerging reggae stars such as Bob Marley, Toots Hibbert and Peter Tosh. He delivered classics like “Many Rivers to Cross,” “You Can Get it If You Really Want” and “Vietnam,” and starred in the seminal film, “The Harder They Come.”
- Bishop Reginald T. Jackson
Photo Credit: Courtesy photo
Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, a longtime leader of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and an outspoken civil and social justice advocate, died Nov. 25 at age 71. Jackson, who was consecrated as the 132nd bishop of the AME Church in July 2012, most recently served as presiding prelate of the AME Church’s Second Episcopal District, which includes Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Washington, D.C.
The Dover, Del., native, in his more than five decades of ministry, combined faith and activism, championing voting rights, education equity and economic justice across New Jersey, Georgia and beyond.
- James L. Wright Jr.
Photo Credit: Courtesy The Washington Informer
James L. Wright Jr., the internationally respected former AFRO reporter and editor, died at age 62 on Dec. 2.
Wright was a resolute and focused sports, political and public affairs reporter who also served as a city editor for the AFRO American Newspaper for many years. At the time of his death, he worked as business and political correspondent for the Washington Informer.
Wright, who died of natural causes at his home in Seat Pleasant, Md., will be greatly missed by his AFRO News family.
- Rod Paige
Photo Credit: Thomas Fordham Institute
Rod Paige, the first African American to serve as U.S. secretary of education and a central architect of the No Child Left Behind Act, died Dec. 9 at age 92. Appointed by President George W. Bush, Paige helped implement the 2002 law that set nationwide testing standards and imposed consequences on schools that failed to meet benchmarks, a framework modeled on reforms he pioneered as superintendent of the Houston Independent School District.
Though he only served as secretary from 2001 to 2005, he remained engaged in education into his 90s, returning to Jackson State – where he formerly coached – as interim president.
- Charles F. Robinson III
Photo Credit: Courtesy photo
Charles F. Robinson III, a veteran journalist and news director, died on Dec. 15. He was a leader of the Black Press and a key member of the Maryland Public Television team, where he’d worked for the past six years.
He was known for being a help to the younger generation of journalists, providing them with opportunities like speaking with lawmakers and helping them visit the Maryland State House to sit in on sessions.