Those We Lost — July 14

Honoring those we lost on July 14 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.

Alice Coachman

Full name: Alice Marie Coachman Davis

Born November 9, 1923 — died July 14, 2014

Olympic high jumper, educator, track-and-field champion, and first Black woman to win Olympic gold.

Coachman made history at the 1948 London Olympics when she won gold in the high jump. She trained through segregation, limited facilities, and gender barriers, then used her legacy to support young athletes and inspire generations of Black women in sports.

William “Poogie” Hart

Full name: William Hart

Born January 17, 1945 — died July 14, 2022

Singer, songwriter, lead vocalist, and founding member of the Delfonics.

Hart helped define the smooth sound of Philadelphia soul through the Delfonics, writing and singing classics like “La-La Means I Love You” and “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time.” His falsetto and songwriting shaped soul music and later influenced hip-hop sampling and R&B harmony.

Barbara Brown Simmons

Died July 14, 2022

Lawyer, community advocate, Black Studies pioneer, and first Black woman to graduate from the University of New Mexico School of Law.

Brown Simmons helped push for the creation of Black Studies at the University of New Mexico and later became the first Black woman to graduate from its law school and join the New Mexico State Bar. Her life connected student activism, legal work, community service, and Black educational leadership in the Southwest.