Those We Lost
Those We Lost — May 8
May
Honoring those we lost on May 8 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.
Henry McNeal Turner
Born February 1, 1834 — Died May 8, 1915
Field: Religion / Reconstruction Politics / Black Nationalism / AME Church
Henry McNeal Turner was an AME bishop, minister, politician, writer, and one of the strongest Black leaders of Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction America.
Why it matters: Turner connects Black church power, Reconstruction politics, Black nationalism, and resistance to white backlash after emancipation. His theology and politics challenged white supremacy directly.
Theodore Ward
Born September 15, 1902 — Died May 8, 1983
Field: Theater / Playwriting / Black Working-Class Drama
Theodore Ward was a playwright whose work explored Black working-class life, labor, racism, and social conditions.
Why it matters: Ward reminds us that Black theater has long been a tool for serious social critique, not just entertainment.
Curtis Fuller
Born December 15, 1932 — Died May 8, 2021
Field: Jazz / Trombone / Hard Bop / Blue Note Era
Curtis Fuller was a jazz trombonist closely tied to hard bop and the classic Blue Note sound.
Why it matters: Fuller represents the deep bench of jazz innovators whose sound helped define the music even when their names were not always mainstream.
Ralph K. Frasier
Born c. 1938/1939 — Died May 8, 2024
Field: Education Desegregation / Civil Rights / University Integration
Ralph Kennedy Frasier was one of three Black undergraduates who integrated the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1955.
Why it matters: His story shows that desegregation was not just court rulings. It was young Black students physically entering hostile institutions and carrying the weight of history on their backs.
