Unsung civil rights pioneer Gloria Richardson dies at 99
Gloria Richardson, an influential yet largely unsung civil rights pioneer whose determination not to back down while protesting racial inequality was captured in a photograph as she pushed away the bayonet of a National Guardsman, has died. She was 99.
Educator, counselor Susie Banian succumbs at 82
Susie Ann Banian, a veteran Richmond teacher and guidance counselor who also sang in multiple church and community choirs, has died.
Dr. Thelma Bland Watson, who was dedicated to advancing the needs of the elderly, dies at 70
Dr. Thelma Bland Watson was 9 when she began providing assistance to her maternal grandmother. That experience turned Dr. Watson into a champion for the elderly.
‘Lifeguard legend,’ city swim instructor Horace A. ‘Bubba’ Carter III dies at 81
Horace Alfonso “Bubba” Carter III wanted everyone in Richmond to learn to swim and to be safe doing it.
RPS career educator and principal Fred A. Cooper dies at 91
Fred Adolphus Cooper sought to inspire students to learn during his nearly 60-year career as an educator that included service as principal of Richmond’s former Armstrong-Kennedy High School complex and later as co-owner of a student tutorial business in Chicago.
Eva Davis Brinkley, Armstrong High guidance director, dies at 91
Eva Davis Brinkley went above and beyond for Richmond students at Armstrong High School.
Jim ‘Mudcat’ Grant, one of the first top Black pitchers in MLB, dies at 85
Jim “Mudcat” Grant, who was among the first dominant Black pitchers in Major League Baseball, died Friday, June 11, 2021, in Los Angeles. He was 85.
Former VCU basketball player Dave Edwards dies
In the early 1970s, Virginia Commonwealth University had dreams of going to Division I in basketball. Dave Edwards was among those helping the Rams reach their goal.
Olympian and activist Lee Evans, who took iconic stand at 1968 Mexico City Games, dies at 74
Lee Evans, the record-setting sprinter who wore a black beret in a sign of protest at the 1968 Summer Olympics and then went on to a life of humanitarian work in support of social justice, died Wednesday, May 19, 2021, …
Actor Clarence Williams III dies at 81
Clarence Williams III, who played the cool undercover cop Linc Hayes on the counterculture series “The Mod Squad” and Prince’s father in “Purple Rain,” died Friday, June 4, 2021, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 81.
Pioneering comic Paul Mooney dies at 79
Paul Mooney, the boundary-pushing comedian who was Richard Pryor’s longtime writing partner and whose bold, incisive musings on racism and American life made him a revered figure in stand-up, died Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at his home in Oakland, Calif., …
Dr. Victor L. Davis Sr., who led Bethlehem Baptist Church for more than 3 decades, dies at 69
Dr. Victor Lee Davis Sr. had twin careers as a teacher in Richmond Public Schools and as the pastor for nearly 32 years of Bethlehem Baptist Church in the city’s East End.
Linwood D. Ross, scoutmaster and deacon, dies at 91
Linwood Dixon Ross taught hundreds of Richmond boys to be prepared while building their confidence and helping to shaping their character.
Memorial service for Adele C. Johnson on May 25
A virtual memorial service celebrating the life of Adele C. Johnson, executive director of the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, will be held 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 25, on the BHMVA Facebook Live and YouTube channel.
Pervis Staples, member of famed Staple Singers, dies at 85
Pervis Staples, whose tenor voice complimented his father’s and sisters’ in the legendary gospel group The Staple Singers, was remembered during a funeral service Monday, May 17, as a great singer and a great brother.
