A time to honor: A look at the notable Black athletes, entertainers and leaders who died in 2023

By Aria Brent

AFRO Staff Writer

Many legendary members of the Black community were called home over the past 12 months of 2023. Although the year is nearly over, we continue to honor and remember those who paved the way for those to come in the future. From legendary athletes to iconic musicians, their legacies will continue to shape the culture for years to come. Here’s a list of some notable Black figures that passed away in 2023.

David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur

David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur was a member of rap group De La Soul. Rising to stardom in the late 80’s, the trio was known for their funk and soul inspired sound along with their conscious lyricism. Later in life the rapper would deal with congestive heart failure and had to wear a LifeVest defibrillator machine in order to fight the symptoms of his illness. On Feb.12 he passed away for unknown reasons at the age of 54.

Harry Belafonte

Known for his work as an actor, singer and activist, Harry Belafonte is a legend in more ways than one. He is credited with popularizing Calypso music amongst international audiences in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The three time Grammy award winner was famous for his hits like “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” and “Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora).” A close confidant to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement, throughout his life he continued to critique and speak out against policies that he viewed as unjust. Belafonte won many awards and honors throughout his life including an Emmy, a Tony, an Oscar, several Grammys, a Kennedy Center Honor and a National Medal of Arts. He was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. The legend passed away from congestive heart failure at the age of 96 on April 25.

Larry “Gator” Rivers

Larry “Gator” Rivers played as a dribbler for the Harlem Globetrotters and then served as a coach for the team from 1973 to 1986. Prior to his professional career, Rivers became a small college all-American at Moberly Junior College and then went on to play as a guard at Missouri Western State University, then known as Missouri Western State College. In March of 1973, Rivers impressed the Harlem Globetrotters during a tryout in Topeka, Kan. Rivers later returned to his college town of St.Joseph, Mo., and in 1990 he founded Gatorball Academy, where he taught basketball skills and rules to children between the ages of nine and 14. Rivers went on to join the world of politics where he served as Commissioner of Chatham County District 2. The basketball star passed away from cancer on April 29 at the age of 73.

William “Bill” Perkins

William “Bill” Perkins was an American politician who served the state of New York in a series of positions throughout the years. Before officially joining the world of politics he was one of the first civic leaders to question the evidence that was being used against the Central Park Five in 1989. He first started off serving as the deputy majority leader on the New York City Council from 1998 to 2005. Perkins then went on to serve in the New York Senate from 2007 to 2017 where he represented the 30th district of New York. Following his time as a Senator he then returned to the New York City Council where he served from 2017 to 2021. Perkins passed away on May 16, at the age of 74. His cause of death wasn’t disclosed but he previously dealt with colon cancer and had developed dementia prior to passing away.

James “Jim” Brown

James “Jim” Brown was an American football player and activist. Brown played for the Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. He is considered one of the greatest football players of all time and was invited to play in the Pro Bowl every year he played in the NFL. He was recognized as the AP Most Valuable Player three times and won an NFL championship with the Browns in 1964. Brown was one of the few athletes to speak out against racism in the 1950s as the civil rights movement was growing. He was one of the most popular Black athletes to participate in civil rights activism, and he called on other Black athletes to engage in similar initiatives off the field. In 1966, he founded the Negro Industrial Economic Union, which later became the Black Economic Union (BEU) to help promote economic opportunities for minority owned businesses. On May 18, he died at the age of 87 from natural causes.

William “Bill” James Edwards Lee III

William “Bill” James Edwards Lee III was a jazz bassist and composer, in addition to being the father of American film director and producer Spike Lee. Throughout his career he worked with artists such as Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Harry Belafonte. He scored many songs and soundtracks for several of Spike Lee’s joints including “She Gotta Have It,” “Mo’ Better Blues,” “School Daze” and “Do the Right Thing.” Bill Lee died on May 24, at his home in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, N.Y. at the age of 94.

Tina Turner

Known as the “Queen of Rock N’ Roll,” Tina Turner was a powerhouse of a singer and songwriter. The musical icon passed away on May 24 after facing a series of illnesses throughout her life, including kidney failure, intestinal cancer and a stroke. She passed away at the age of 83 in Küsnacht, Zürich, Switzerland.

Sheila Oliver

Sheila Oliver was an American politician and the first Black woman to be elected to a statewide office position in New Jersey. She served as second lieutenant governor and she was the first Black woman to ever do so in her state. Oliver previously worked in education serving on the East Orange School District board of education where she ultimately became president of the district. She represented the 34th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2004 to 2018. She then went on to serve as speaker of the body from 2010 to 2014. A woman of many first, she was also the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly. The trailblazing politician passed away on Aug.1 at the age of 71.

William “DJ Casper”

William “DJ Casper” Perry Jr. was a Chicago based DJ best known for his hit-song the “Cha-Cha Slide.” The world famous line dance was originally released in 1998 as a workout song for his nephew, who worked as a personal trainer. In January of 2016, Perry was diagnosed with kidney cancer and neuroendocrine cancer. He started chemotherapy the same month. In 2019 he announced that he had beat his cancers, however they were his cause of death earlier this year. Perry passed away on Aug.7 at the age of 58.

Ron Cephas Jones

Ron Cephas Jones was an American actor best known for his role as William Hill in NBC’s drama “This is Us.” In addition to this he had several roles in other television series such as Netflix’s “The Get Down” and “Luke Cage.” Jones had a multitude of awards including a Screen Actor’s Guild Award, and two PrimeTime Emmys. He passed away at the age of 66 from a “long-standing pulmonary issue” on Aug.19.

Rudolph Isley

Rudolph Isley was a member of the legendary soul group, The Isley Brothers. He and his three brothers Ronald, Vernon and Kelly initially founded the group in 1954. Over the years, the band underwent a series of changes, but always found their way back to the music. Isley recorded multiple projects with the band including the projects “Smooth Sailin’” and “Spend the Night,” before he left both the group and the music industry as an entirety in 1989. Following his departure from music, he pursued his lifelong dream of becoming a minister. On Oct.11 he passed away from a heart attack at the age of 84.

Richard Roundtree

Richard Roundtree was an actor most known for his portrayal of the character John Shaft in a series of blaxploitation films titled “Shaft.” In addition to starring in that role, he had success on television, most notably for his role in “Roots.” Following his success as an screen actor in the 70’s, he later performed in several stage plays throughout the 90’s and continued to work as an actor throughout his life. In 1993, Roundtree was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy and chemotherapy. On Oct.24 he died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 81.

Andre Braugher

Andre Braugher was an award winning actor best known for his roles as Detective Frank Pembleton in the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street and as Captain Raymond Holt in the Fox/NBC police comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Braugher started off his acting career in the 80’s by working in theater, he then transitioned to television and film during the late 80’s and early 90’s. In 1991 he married his wife Ami Brabson and together they had three sons: Michael, John Wesley and Isaiah. On Dec.11, Barugher died of lung cancer after having been diagnosed with it only a few months before his death. He was 61 years old.