In Memoriam

In Memoriam: Setti Warren, 1970-2025

Warren, the first popularly elected African American mayor in Massachusetts and director of the Harvard Institute of Politics, passed away unexpectedly on November 2. He served as mayor of Newton, Massachusetts, from 2010 to 2018.

In Memoriam: Harold Johnson, 1926-2025

Johnson was the first African American to be appointed to a deanship at the University of Michigan. He led the university's School of Social Work for 12 years.

In Memoriam: Leon Edwin Bailey, 1936-2025

An undergraduate alumnus of historically Black Hampton University, Dr. Bailey taught theatre and served as associate provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Connecticut.

In Memoriam: John E. Fleming, 1944-2025

Throughout his lifetime, Dr. Fleming held prominent leadership roles with several museums centered on African American history, including the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

In Memoriam: Paulette C. Walker, 1948-2025

Following a career as a K-12 teacher and counselor, Dr. Walker spent 21 years on the faculty at the University of South Florida's College of Education. Her scholarship centered on improving administration and supervision in urban public schools.

In Memoriam: Diane Gaston, 1959-2025

A scholar of philosophy and religious studies, Gaston taught at Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio for over two decades.

In Memoriam: Jeanne Craig Sinkford, 1933-2025

Dr. Sinkford was the first woman to ever lead a dental school in the United States, serving as dean of her alma mater, the College of Dentistry at Howard University, from 1975 to 1991.

In Memoriam: James Abbington, 1960-2025

A leading scholar of church sacred music, Dr. Abbington was slated to join Duke Divinity School this fall as the inaugural Joseph B. Bethea Professor of the Practice of Sacred Music and Black Church Studies.

In Memoriam: Marcyliena H. Morgan, 1950-2025

Dr. Morgan was a professor of African and African American studies and the Ernest E. Monrad Professor of Social Sciences at Harvard. While there, she founded the Hip Hop Archive and Research Institute in the university's Hutchins Center for African and African American Research.

In Memoriam: Quintard Taylor, Jr., 1948-2025

Quintard Taylor, Jr. was a professor of history for nearly five decades, including two decades as an endowed professor with the University of Washington. He was the author of several books and the founder of BlackPast, the world's largest online encyclopedia on Black history.

In Memoriam: Kimberly Walker, 1965-2025

At the time of her passing, Dr. Walker was an assistant professor and program director for medical diagnostics at the University of Delaware. Her scholarship centered on infectious disease and health policy research.

In Memoriam: Earl S. Richardson, 1943-2025

Dr. Richardson was president of Morgan State University in Baltimore from 1984 to 2010. He led the university through a period of significant growth, while advocating for HBCU education and criticizing the state of Maryland's historic underfunding of its four HBCUs.

In Memoriam: Joseph McNeil, 1942-2025

McNeil was a member of the A&T Four - a group of four students at North Carolina A&T State University who organized a sit-in protest at a local lunch counter. The movement lasted for more than five months, ultimately leading to the store's desegregation.

In Memoriam: Mildred Barnes Griggs, 1942-2025

Dr. Griggs spent three decades on the faculty of the University of Illinois, where she was the first African American to be promoted through the ranks to full professor and the first woman to serve as dean of a college.

In Memoriam: Joe Lee Smith, 1936-2025

Dr. Joe Lee Smith was a former president of Brevard Community College in Florida. He had a long career in education, as well as public service. For 36 years, he served 12 consecutive terms on the Rockledge City Council.

In Memoriam: Martin Luther Boston

Dr. Boston was a scholar of race and ethnicity studies. At California State University, Sacramento, he directed the Pan-African studies program, as well as the Black Serving Institute Initiative. He also served as editor-in-chief of African and Black Diaspora: An International Journal.

In Memoriam: James Lamar Gant, 1927-2025

James Gant, an alumnus of historically Black Florida A&M University, was the first African American dean of the College of Education at Florida State University.

In Memoriam: Anita Lyons Bond, 1930-2025

Bond, the first African American to graduate with honors from Saint Louis University, was a dedicated advocate for equal opportunity in education, both on the national level and within her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.

In Memoriam: Dwedor Weslyne Ford, 1979-2025

For the past six years, Dr. Ford taught kinesiology at Prairie View A&M University in Texas. With degrees in computer science and health and human performance, she conducted extensive research on disability sport, racial and health inequities, the integration of AI in kinesiology, and culturally responsive teaching practices.

In Memoriam: James Adolphus Fisher, 1942-2025

A historian of Black life in California, Dr. Fisher previously taught at the University of California, Davis and Sacramento City College, where he helped to develop the institution's first courses in ethnic studies.
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