African Americans who died in 2021
Cicely Tyson
(December 19, 1924 – January 28, 2021) was an American actress and fashion model. In a career spanning more than seven decades, she became known for her portrayal of strong African-American women. At age 96, Tyson was one of the most acclaimed actresses in Hollywood, paving the way for Black thespians while representing the last of the film industry’s golden age. But her road to success was tested at several points in career where she was faced with racism, sexism, misogynoir. Throughout her career which spanned over 60 years in television, film and theatre, Cicely was nominated for 52 awards, with 49 wins.
Some of her remarkable says:
“I’ve never really worked for money. It’s so important for me to have peace of mind, body, and soul than to have all the riches.”
“The glitter, the ribbons, the garnish I’ve experienced during my life — as wonderful as those things are, I have little desire to reflect on them solely. What I am far more interested in is the tree that represents my life and strength and condition of its roots.”
“Whatever good I have accomplished as an actress I believe came in direct proportion to my efforts to portray Black women who have made positive contributions to my heritage.”
Hank Aaron
Major League Baseball hero Hank Aaron died on Jan. 22 at the age of 86 from an unknown cause, according to his daughter who confirmed the tragic news with xxx. Aaron was a prolific athlete who rose through poverty as a child of the Great Depression to become hailed as baseball’s “home run king.” In 1974 he made history shattering the record held by Babe Ruth of 714 home runs in a career. Aaron, a baseball legend who made history in 1974 when he shattered Babe Ruth’s home run record, died on Jan. 22 at the age of 86. Fans and supporters shared their grief on social media, honoring the MLB icon with tributes and thanks for what he gave the game of baseball, as well as his civil rights and philanthropic efforts.
Eric Jerome Dickey
Best-selling author Eric Jerome Dickey died on Jan. 3 at the age of 59 after battling a long-term illness. Dickey helped forge a new path in urban fiction by sharing the intricacies of Black contemporary life to a wide, international audience. Dickey left a career as a software engineer to pursue his art and worked diligently at his craft for years writing poetry, comedy, and scripts until he published his first novel “Sister, Sister” in 1996.” Over the course of his career Dickey published 29 novels and was honored as a New York Times best-selling author. He also earned a series of NAACP Image Awards, the 2006 Best Contemporary Fiction and Author of The Year, and Storyteller of the Year in 2008 at the 1st Annual Essence Literary Awards.
Floyd Little
The football world lost a legend as 2021 started when former college and professional star running back Floyd Little died on New Year’s Day. He was 78 years old. Little died following a brief battle with cancer.
His football career began to take off as a high school star in Connecticut, but he transferred to a military school in New Jersey for his final two years to help prepare him for college academics as well as athletics
College and professional football star Floyd Little died on New Year’s Day. He was 78 years old and died following a brief battle with cancer. In 1964, Little chose to attend Syracuse University, where he was a three-time all-American. That collegiate stardom paved Little’s way to star in the then-AFL for the Denver Broncos, a team that later became part of the larger group of professional football franchises popularly known as the NFL. Speaking of “franchise,” that became Little’s nickname on the Broncos as he went on to set several rushing marks.