Those We Lost
Those We Lost — May 21
May
Honoring those we lost on May 21 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.
Katherine Dunham
Born June 22, 1909 — Died May 21, 2006
Field: Dance / Anthropology / Choreography / Black Cultural Scholarship
Katherine Dunham was a dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, educator, and social activist.
Why it matters: Dunham belongs in the archive because she treated Black movement as knowledge. Her work connected dance, anthropology, Black performance, and American stage culture.
Dovey Johnson Roundtree
Born April 17, 1914 — Died May 21, 2018
Field: Law / Civil Rights / Military Service / Ministry
Dovey Johnson Roundtree was a lawyer, civil rights activist, military officer, minister, and a key figure in mid-20th-century civil rights law.
Why it matters: Roundtree’s life connects Black women’s military service, legal advocacy, civil rights strategy, and spiritual leadership. She gives May 21 a powerful legal-history remembrance.
