Those We Lost — August 28

Honoring those we lost on August 28 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.

Albert Grant Brown

Born 1881 — died Aug 28, 1924

Architect, professor, draftsman, and early Black design professional in West Virginia.

Brown studied at West Virginia Colored Institute and Tuskegee before returning to teach mechanical and freehand drawing, including architecture. His design work and instruction helped establish a professional pathway in a field that largely excluded Black Americans.

William P. Foster

Full name: William Patrick Foster

Born Aug 25, 1919 — died Aug 28, 2010

Bandmaster, composer, author, educator, and architect of Florida A&M’s Marching 100.

Foster directed Florida A&M’s band for more than half a century, transforming marching technique through precision, movement, musicianship, and show design. His innovations reshaped HBCU band culture, influenced programs nationwide, and made the Marching 100 an international symbol of Black collegiate excellence.

Emmett Till

Full name: Emmett Louis Till

Born Jul 25, 1941 — died Aug 28, 1955

Fourteen-year-old whose lynching became a catalyst for the modern civil rights movement.

Till was kidnapped and murdered in Mississippi after a white woman falsely accused him of offensive behavior. Mamie Till-Mobley’s decision to hold an open-casket funeral and Jet magazine’s publication of the images forced the nation to confront racial terror and helped mobilize a new generation of activists.

John Steptoe

Full name: John Lewis Steptoe

Born Sep 14, 1950 — died Aug 28, 1989

Author, illustrator, artist, and pioneer of Black children’s literature.

Steptoe published Stevie while still a teenager and built a career portraying Black children with tenderness, humor, and everyday complexity. Books including Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters connected young readers to African heritage and earned major honors for both writing and illustration.

Chadwick Boseman

Full name: Chadwick Aaron Boseman

Born Nov 29, 1976 — died Aug 28, 2020

Actor, playwright, director, and cultural icon whose performances joined history and heroism.

Boseman portrayed Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall, and T’Challa with discipline, grace, and moral force. Black Panther became a global celebration of African possibility, while his final performances—completed during a private cancer battle—deepened his legacy of courage and artistic purpose.