Those We Lost — July 16

Honoring those we lost on July 16 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.

Bernice Johnson Reagon

Birth name: Bernice Johnson

Born October 4, 1942 — died July 16, 2024

Singer, composer, scholar, civil rights activist, SNCC Freedom Singer, and founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock.

Reagon used music as a tool for movement, memory, and resistance. From the Albany Movement and SNCC Freedom Singers to Sweet Honey in the Rock and her scholarship on Black sacred sound, she helped preserve and carry freedom songs into future generations.

John Henrik Clarke

Birth name: John Henry Clark

Born January 1, 1915 — died July 16, 1998

Historian, professor, writer, Pan-Africanist, and Africana Studies pioneer.

Clarke helped reshape how African and African American history was studied, taught, and understood. His work challenged distorted historical narratives and helped build the intellectual foundation for Black Studies and African-centered education.

William Lacy Clay Sr.

Born April 30, 1931 — died July 16, 2025

Civil rights leader, U.S. congressman, labor advocate, and founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Clay became Missouri’s first Black member of Congress and represented St. Louis for more than three decades. His career connected civil rights activism, labor rights, public service, and the rise of Black political power in Congress.