Jacqueline Avant, Wife Of ‘Black Godfather’ Clarence Avant, Shot & Killed In Home Robbery

Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks Who We’ve Lost In 2021

UPDATED: 3:40 p.m. ET, July 17, 2021 — While death is inevitably a part of life, that truth doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye to those who have died. Keep reading to learn more about the notable Black lives that we’ve lost in 2021. On Friday (July 16), Biz Markie died after a lengthy health challenge. TMZ reported the 57-year-old rapper was surrounded by family and was with his wife as he took his final breaths. Biz, the Harlem-born, Long Island-raised hitmaker during rap’s Golden Era, made a name for himself due to his unmistakeable skills as human beatbox icon. His place as the “Clown Prince Of Hip Hop” was cemented with Top 40 classics like “Just A Friend,” and he even went on to become a well-respected foodie by teaching a cooking class in Washington, D.C. It goes without saying that his talents were limitless, and we’ll surely miss his presence. Hall of Fame basketball player Elgin Baylor died March 22 at the age of 86. His wife confirmed the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s death and said Baylor died of natural causes. Jeannie Buss, the owner of the Lakers, mourned Baylor in a statement: “Elgin was THE superstar of his era — his many accolades speak to that,” Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “He was one of the few Lakers players whose career spanned from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. But more importantly he was a man of great integrity, even serving his country as a U.S. Army reservist, often playing for the Lakers only during his weekend pass. He is one of the all-time Lakers greats with his No. 22 jersey retired in the rafters and his statue standing guard in front of STAPLES Center. He will always be part of the Lakers legacy. On behalf of the entire Lakers family, I’d like to send my thoughts, prayers and condolences to Elaine and the Baylor family.” MORE: Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks We Lost In 2020 Antoine Hodge, a respected and celebrated opera singer, died from COVID-19 on Feb. 22. He was 38 years old. Hodge recently appeared in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2019 production of “Porgy and Bess.” https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1365738508216860674?s=20 Douglas Turner Ward, an actor and the co-founder of the Negro Ensemble Company, died Feb. 20 at the age of 90. His cause of death was not immediately announced. Ward, who appeared in Broadway plays such as, “A Raisin in the Sun,” was a champion for Black playwrights at a time when support for them for nearly nonexistent. He said he was proud of the success his company has had over the years. “I’m proud of the personnel that we trained and the fact that they’re still active in every field of theater, TV and film,” Ward told the Roundabout Theater Company in an interview published nearly a year ago. “Not just the writers, but the actors, the designers, the stage managers, the backstage personnel, the directors. Everybody. To this day they are all over American show business working. And some creating their own theaters.” Mary Wilson, one of the founding members of The Supremes, the legendary trio who went on to make music history with the legendary Motown Records, has died at the age of 76. Her death on Feb. 8 was unexpected, according to her publicist. There was no cause of death immediately announced. Scroll down to learn more about her life and the lasting impact she left on popular music. [caption id="attachment_4089207" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Source: Sherry Rayn Barnett / Getty[/caption] Former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks died on Feb. 5 after a five-year battle with prostate and other cancers. Spinks, 67, was most famously known for one of the greatest sports upsets of all time during a 1978 boxing match with Muhammad Ali, where he beat the champ, securing the heavyweight title. Several months later Ali reclaimed the title. Although they were fierce competitors the two stayed close well into their later years. [caption id="attachment_4088895" align="alignnone" width="712"] Source: ABC Photo Archives / Getty[/caption] The world is mourning an icon after it was revealed that Oscar-nominated actress Cicely Tyson died on Jan. 28. Her cause of death is unknown. At age 96, Tyson was one of the most acclaimed actresses in Hollywood, paving the way for Black thespians while representing the last of the film industry’s golden age. But her road to success was tested at several points in career where she was faced with racism, sexism, misogynoir. Throughout her career which spanned over 60 years in television, film and theatre, Cicely was nominated for 52 awards, with 49 wins. [caption id="attachment_4083795" align="alignnone" width="819"] Source: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty[/caption] Her death comes just two days after the release of her memoir “Just as I am” in which Tyson reflected on her contributions and her personal trials and tribulations. Major League Baseball hero Hank Aaron died on Jan. 22 at the age of 86 from an unknown cause, according to his daughter who confirmed the tragic news. Aaron was a prolific athlete who rose through poverty as a child of the Great Depression to become hailed as baseball’s “home run king.” In 1974 he made history shattering the record held by Babe Ruth of 714 home runs in a career. Fans and supporters of Aaron’s legacy shared their grief on social media, mourning the loss of another great sports legend. https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1352652383709507585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1352652383709507585%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsone.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D4081145action%3Dedit   Meredith C. Anding Jr., a civil rights icon who as a member of the “Tougaloo Nine” was arrested for entering a “whites only” library in 1961, died Jan. 8. Anding was 79 years old. The cause of death was complications from leukemia. Scroll down to read more about his life. https://twitter.com/MSNAACP/status/1348660569319100417?s=20 Scroll down to see some of the other notable Black people who have died in 2021.