Those We Lost — September 9

Honoring those we lost on September 9 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.

W. Deen Mohammed

Full name: Warith Deen Mohammed

Born October 30, 1933 — died September 9, 2008

Muslim leader and reformer.

Son of Elijah Muhammad, Mohammed inherited the Nation of Islam in 1975 and led the largest mass movement of African Americans into orthodox Sunni Islam, embracing interfaith cooperation and American civic life. He reshaped Black religious history in a single generation.

Ronald "Khalis" Bell

Born November 1, 1951 — died September 9, 2020

Saxophonist, composer, and cofounder of Kool & the Gang.

As the group’s chief writer and arranger, Bell shaped "Celebration," "Ladies’ Night," "Jungle Boogie," and "Summer Madness" — songs woven permanently into American life and among the most sampled in hip-hop. Every celebration still calls his name.

James Earl Jones

Born January 17, 1931 — died September 9, 2024

Actor and the most recognized voice in the world.

A childhood stutterer who barely spoke for years, Jones built the most commanding instrument in American acting — Darth Vader’s menace, Mufasa’s majesty, Tony-winning triumphs in The Great White Hope and Fences, and an EGOT across seven decades. He died at ninety-three, a monument of the craft.