Those We Lost — July 13

Honoring those we lost on July 13 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.

Lesley Riddle

Also known as: Esley Riddle

Born June 13, 1905 — died July 13, 1979

Musician, guitarist, singer, song collector, and overlooked Black influence on early country music.

Riddle helped shape the sound of the Carter Family by sharing songs, guitar techniques, and musical knowledge from Black Southern traditions. His story reminds us that Black musicians were part of country, folk, blues, and roots music from the beginning.

Beulah Woodard

Birth name: Beulah Ecton

Born November 11, 1895 — died July 13, 1955

Sculptor, painter, mask maker, and early Black woman artist in California.

Woodard built a powerful artistic practice around sculpture, portraiture, African heritage, and Black identity. She became the first African American artist to receive a solo exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, creating space for later Black artists on the West Coast.

Sandra Bland

Full name: Sandra Annette Bland

Born February 7, 1987 — died July 13, 2015

Activist, Prairie View A&M alumna, police accountability symbol, and Black Lives Matter-era figure.

Bland was found dead in a Texas jail cell three days after a traffic stop that escalated into an arrest. Her death became a national flashpoint in conversations about policing, jail conditions, Black women, and the demand for accountability.