Those We Lost — October 22

Honoring those we lost on October 22 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.

James W. C. Pennington

Born c. 1807 — died October 22, 1870

Minister, abolitionist, author, and educator

Pennington escaped slavery in Maryland at nineteen and was later the first Black student at Yale Divinity School, although he could not formally enroll. He became a Congregational and Presbyterian minister and a leader of the Black convention movement, and wrote The Fugitive Blacksmith. The University of Heidelberg awarded him an honorary doctorate while he was still legally a fugitive. He campaigned against slavery in Britain and Europe and challenged streetcar segregation in New York. During Reconstruction he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, to teach and minister to freed people.

Milton L. Olive III

Born November 7, 1946 — died October 22, 1965

U.S. Army private first class and Medal of Honor recipient

Born in Chicago and raised by his grandparents in Lexington, Mississippi, Olive volunteered for the Army in 1965. He served with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade. On patrol near Phu Cuong, South Vietnam, he grabbed an enemy grenade thrown among his platoon and fell on it, saving four fellow soldiers. He was eighteen when he died. He was the first African American soldier to receive the Medal of Honor for action in the Vietnam War, and a park in Chicago bears his name.

Henry Armstrong

Born December 12, 1912 — died October 22, 1988

Professional boxer, world champion, minister, and youth mentor

Armstrong became the only boxer to hold recognized world championships in three weight divisions at the same time, combining relentless pressure with extraordinary stamina. He remains one of boxing’s most celebrated champions and later used his public role in ministry and work with young people.

Cleavon Little

Born June 1, 1939 — died October 22, 1992

Stage, film, and television actor

Born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Little grew up in San Diego and trained as an actor after college. He won the 1970 Tony Award for best actor in a musical for Purlie. He starred as Sheriff Bart in Mel Brooks’s Blazing Saddles (1974). His Blazing Saddles role is one of the best-known satirical performances about race in American film. He worked across Broadway, film, and television for more than two decades.

Samuel L. Gravely Jr.

Born June 4, 1922 — died October 22, 2004

U.S. Navy vice admiral and communications leader

Gravely broke a succession of Navy barriers as the first Black officer to serve aboard a fighting ship, command a warship, reach flag rank, and command a numbered fleet. His thirty-eight-year career made him a central figure in the integration and professional transformation of the modern U.S. Navy.

Willie Brown

Born c. 1940 — died October 22, 2019

Professional football cornerback, coach, and team executive

Brown went undrafted out of Grambling State in 1963 and played for the Denver Broncos before the Oakland Raiders acquired him in 1967. He became known as the godfather of bump-and-run coverage. In Super Bowl XI he returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984. He later served the Raiders as an assistant coach, administrator, and team ambassador.