Those We Lost
Those We Lost — August 9
Aug
Honoring those we lost on August 9 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.
Ruby Hurley
Birth name: Ruby Ruffin
Born Nov 7, 1909 — died Aug 9, 1980
Civil rights organizer, NAACP administrator, investigator, and voting-rights advocate.
Hurley built the NAACP’s first permanent regional office in the Deep South and investigated racial violence, voter suppression, and the murder of Emmett Till. Known as the “queen of civil rights,” she strengthened organizing across Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, and Tennessee.
Al Freeman Jr.
Full name: Albert Cornelius Freeman Jr.
Born Mar 21, 1934 — died Aug 9, 2012
Actor, director, educator, and pioneering daytime television performer.
Freeman brought dignity and complexity to stage, film, and television roles, including Malcolm X in Roots: The Next Generations and police captain Ed Hall on One Life to Live. He became the first Black performer to win the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor.
Carl Davis
Full name: Carl H. Davis Sr.
Born Sep 19, 1934 — died Aug 9, 2012
Record producer, music executive, label founder, and architect of Chicago soul.
Davis helped create the Chicago soul sound through recordings by Gene Chandler, Major Lance, Jackie Wilson, Barbara Acklin, the Chi-Lites, and Tyrone Davis. His work at Okeh, Brunswick, Dakar, and Chi Sound linked gospel feeling, polished arrangements, and street-level rhythm.
Gregory Hines
Full name: Gregory Oliver Hines
Born Feb 14, 1946 — died Aug 9, 2003
Tap dancer, actor, choreographer, singer, and ambassador for American tap.
Hines carried tap from vaudeville tradition into Broadway, film, television, and contemporary performance. Through acclaimed stage work, movies including The Cotton Club and White Nights, and mentorship of younger dancers, he helped renew public appreciation for a central Black American art form.
Bernie Mac
Birth name: Bernard Jeffrey McCullough
Born Oct 5, 1957 — died Aug 9, 2008
Comedian, actor, producer, and member of the Original Kings of Comedy.
Mac’s fearless stand-up, commanding delivery, and sharp observations about family and everyday life made him one of his generation’s defining comedians. The Bernie Mac Show and his film career expanded his reach while preserving the unmistakable voice he developed on Chicago stages.
