Those We Lost — July 15

Honoring those we lost on July 15 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.

Gloria Richardson

Full name: Gloria St. Clair Hayes Richardson

Born May 6, 1922 — died July 15, 2021

Civil rights activist, Cambridge Movement leader, organizer, and Black freedom struggle strategist.

Richardson became one of the few nationally visible women leading a local civil rights campaign during the 1960s. In Cambridge, Maryland, she pushed beyond desegregation alone, demanding jobs, housing, economic justice, and dignity for Black residents facing deep inequality.

Elisabeth Welch

Birth name: Elisabeth Margaret Welch

Born February 27, 1904 — died July 15, 2003

Singer, actress, cabaret performer, Broadway artist, and international stage figure.

Welch was born in New York City and built a long career across Broadway, London theater, film, radio, and cabaret. Her career stretched from the Harlem Renaissance era into late-20th-century stage work, making her one of the Black performers who carried American song and theater across the Atlantic.

Barbara Randolph

Born May 5, 1942 — died July 15, 2002

Singer, actress, Motown recording artist, and member of The Platters.

Randolph came out of a performing family and built a career in music and film. She recorded for Motown, sang with The Platters, and appeared in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, leaving a legacy connected to both soul music and Black screen presence.