Those We Lost
Those We Lost — May 30
May
Honoring those we lost on May 30 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.
Sun Ra
Born May 22, 1914 — Died May 30, 1993
Field: Jazz / Afrofuturism / Experimental Music
Sun Ra died on May 30, 1993.
Why it matters: His death marked the passing of one of Black music’s boldest world-builders — an artist who made sound into philosophy, costume into myth, and Black imagination into outer space.
Patricia Bath
Born November 4, 1942 — Died May 30, 2019
Field: Medicine / Ophthalmology / Invention / Black Women in STEM
Dr. Patricia Bath was an ophthalmologist, inventor, and public-health advocate. She became the first Black woman physician to receive a medical patent and developed laser technology connected to cataract treatment.
Why it matters: Bath is one of the strongest May 30 death entries because her life connects Black women in medicine, invention, eye health, health equity, and access to care.
Jessie Maple
Born February 14, 1937 — Died May 30, 2023
Field: Film / Black Women Directors / Independent Cinema
Jessie Maple was a filmmaker, cinematographer, and one of the first Black women to direct a feature-length independent film.
Why it matters: Maple belongs in the archive because she fought for Black women’s access behind the camera. Her career expands Black film history beyond actors and into directing, cinematography, production, and ownership of the image.
