Those We Lost
Those We Lost — May 1
May
Honoring those we lost on May 1 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.
Eldridge Cleaver
Born August 31, 1935 — Died May 1, 1998
Field: Black Power / Political Writing / Black Panther Party
Eldridge Cleaver was a writer, political activist, and former Black Panther Party figure. His book Soul on Ice became one of the most widely discussed Black radical texts of the late 1960s.
Why it matters: Cleaver is important, but he must be handled with complexity. His life reflects the urgency, brilliance, contradictions, and unresolved tensions of Black radical politics in the 1960s and after.
Pete Brown
Born February 2, 1935 — Died May 1, 2015
Field: Golf / Sports Integration / Athletic Firsts
Pete Brown was a professional golfer who became the first African American to win a PGA Tour event, taking the 1964 Waco Turner Open.
Why it matters: Brown’s story pushes Black sports history beyond the usual basketball, baseball, and boxing lanes. He broke through in a sport with deep exclusionary barriers, making him a strong entry for Black athletic firsts.
