Those We Lost — June 18

Honoring those we lost on June 18 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.

Larry Doby

Born December 13, 1923 — Died June 18, 2003

Title: Baseball Hall of Famer and first Black player in the American League

Larry Doby broke the American League color barrier when he joined Cleveland in 1947, just months after Jackie Robinson debuted in the National League. His career connected Negro League excellence, Major League integration, and the pressure Black athletes carried while changing baseball.

Georgie Woods

Born May 11, 1927 — Died June 18, 2005

Title: Radio personality, music promoter, and civil rights activist

Georgie Woods was a major Philadelphia radio figure known as “the guy with the goods.” He helped promote Black music, shaped radio audiences, and used his platform during the civil rights era to speak about equality and justice.

Rufus L. Perry

Born March 11, 1834 — Died June 18, 1895

Title: Educator, journalist, Baptist minister, editor, and Black public intellectual

Rufus L. Perry was a minister, educator, journalist, and editor who worked in Black religious and intellectual life after slavery. His work in newspapers, churches, and educational spaces made him part of the 19th-century Black leadership tradition that built institutions with words, faith, and organizing.