Those We Lost — July 7

Honoring those we lost on July 7 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.

Helene Johnson

Real name: Helen Johnson

Born July 7, 1906 — died July 7, 1995

Poet, writer, Harlem Renaissance figure, and literary voice of Black modernism.

Johnson was part of the Harlem Renaissance and became known for poetry that captured Black life, youth, rhythm, beauty, and social tension. Although she stepped away from public literary life, her work remained part of the Black modernist tradition.

Juanita Jackson Mitchell

Birth name: Juanita Elizabeth Jackson

Born January 2, 1913 — died July 7, 1992

Civil rights lawyer, NAACP organizer, activist, and first Black woman to practice law in Maryland.

Mitchell used law and organizing to fight segregation in schools, public facilities, employment, and civic life. Her work in Baltimore and across Maryland made her one of the state’s most important civil rights legal leaders.

Clarence “Cap” Wigington

Real name: Clarence Wesley Wigington

Born April 21, 1883 — died July 7, 1967

Architect, municipal designer, and first Black municipal architect in the United States.

Wigington designed dozens of public buildings in St. Paul, Minnesota, including schools, fire stations, and park structures. His career left a lasting architectural legacy and challenged racial barriers in a profession where Black architects were rarely given public authority.

Adam Wade

Real name: Patrick Henry Wade

Born March 17, 1935 — died July 7, 2022

Singer, actor, musician, and pioneering Black television game show host.

Wade built a career in music, theater, film, and television, with several pop hits in the 1960s. In 1975, he became the first Black host of a network television game show, opening a door in an area of entertainment where Black performers had been largely excluded.