Oprah Winfrey, Angela Davis and Ta-Nehisi Coates honored the literary icon at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City.

A dedicated storyteller who centered Black lives in the deep South, the award-winning author of “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” gave voice to the frequently silenced.

Honor the comedy icon’s legacy with a laugh today via these clips of him at work.

The renowned soprano’s career ran across five decades.

Pei designed iconic works—including the Louvre and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame—that are nothing short of amazing.

The slack key guitar star died at the age of 68.

The author of the genre-smashing “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow Is Enuf” died at age 70.

Vaughn Franklin says Reverend Jasper Williams Jr.’s remarks at his aunt’s funeral ignored the late singer’s life and condemned activists and single Black mothers.

Join the world in mourning and celebrating the Queen of Soul as famous fans like Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson arrive in the Motor City for her funeral. 

The Queen of Soul, who just passed away at age 76, captivated the world with her vocals and turned a plea for “Respect” into a rallying cry for justice. Revisit her legacy.

Joe Jackson died just two weeks before the performance.

People of color remember the award-winning chef, tv host and author who advocated for immigrants, supported the #MeToo movement, and fiercely opposed racism and colonialism.

A leader in the fight against South African apartheid, she died surrounded by family members in Johannesburg.

The “Flava In Ya Ear” rapper is dead from heart failure at age 47.

Walker worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the 1960s.

We’re  honoring some of the activists, performers and pioneers of color who died in 2017 in their own words.

The American Indian Movement co-founder resisted the U.S. government’s oppression of Native people for decades.

The New Orleans singer-songwriter and pianist paved the way for rock music with songs like “The Fat Man” and “Ain’t That a Shame.” 

Guillaume, whose work on “Benson” made him the first Black man to earn a lead comedy actor Emmy, died at age 89 after battling prostate cancer.

The R&B singer died in a plane crash 16 years ago.