Andre Harrell, the influential music mogul, passed away at this year due to heart failure. He had a repertoire of curating Black excellence through ownership and creativity that spanned over three decades – of rap, soul, television, fashion, and film. Harrell began his career as Dr. Jeckyll in the hip-hop-duo group Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde whilst still in high school. The duo put out minor hits until Harrell pivoted his interests into the business side of the music industry. He became the first rapper to transition into a corporate boardroom. There, he would go on to work at Def Jam Records under the tutelage of Russell Simmons. Harrell received the notoriety of building the careers of LL Cool J, Run DMC, and Whodini; it was a foreshadowing of the legacy he was bound to imprint on culture. After three years of spearheading careers at Def Jam, Harrell left and went on to birth the new cool: Uptown Records. Blending the soulful trances of bedroom R&B with the flamboyant ruggedness of rap music, Harrell went on to revolutionize the sound of Black soul music in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s with Uptown Records. Not only did he open the doors for an array of talent that became the soundtrack to Black American life, but he became the wizard behind the boards of putting the imagery of joy, fun, and success at the forefront for Black culture.
B. Smith, a multi-talented TV personality known for her modeling, television, business and books passed away in 2020 after her battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was the owner of multiple restaurants called B. Smith with the first opening in 1986, on Eighth Avenue at 47th Street in New York City. Then, several years later, her restaurant moved around the corner to Restaurant Row on 46th Street. The décor and ambiance in her restaurants led to Smith starting her first home collection, which debuted at Bed Bath & Beyond in Spring 2001. The B. Smith with Style Home Collection is the first line from an African-American woman to be sold at a nationwide retailer and includes bedding, tabletop and bath products. She also launched a line of serveware in 2004 and a furniture collection in 2007. She decided to address it head-on and announced her Alzheimer’s diagnosis in June 2014. She and her husband worked to raise awareness of the disease and its effects on the African-American community in particular. They authored a book, written with Michael Shnayerson entitled “Before I Forget,” in 2016, which talked about Smith’s fight with Alzheimer’s and shared practical and helpful advice.
Before she passed away this year, Betty Wright told people that “Girls Can’t Do What the Guys Do” and to beware of the “Clean Up Woman.” Her songs came from a real place and in turn, touched her fans in a personal way. Wright set the bar for many African American female vocalists that came after her and was a present-day inspiration for new artists. “Clean Up Woman,” in 1971, stayed at number six on the pop charts and number two on the R&B charts for eight weeks. “Clean Up Woman” is Wright’s signature song, and has often been sampled by other artists. She followed that success in 1972 with “Baby Sitter,” which reached the top 50 of the Hot 100 and peaked at number six on the R&B charts. In 1985, Wright created her own record label, Ms. B Records, in response to gender pay gap issues in the music industry. In 1987, she released the album, “Mother Wit,” under her label and made history becoming the first Black woman artist to earn a gold album on her own record label. The album was notable for hits “No Pain, No Gain,” which got on the top 20 R&B chart and “After the Pain.”
This year, we lost legendary composer and performer, Bill Withers, who passed away from a heart condition. He passed peacefully at his home in Sherman Oaks at the age of 81. Bill Withers, who wrote and sang a number of songs, is best known for the legendary song “Lean On Me,” but also wrote and performed such classics as “Lovely Day,” “Aint No Sunshine” and “Grandma’s hands.” Withers’ additional honors include multiple Million-aires citations from Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI); a Soul Train Hall of Fame award; two NAACP Image awards, induction into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame, and a Clio award. In 2007, “Lean On Me” was enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the 2015 Class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and in 2017, he received the prestigious International award of the Ivor Novello Awards in England.
Brad Pye, Jr., a trailblazing sports writer and broadcaster, passed away in 2020 and was recognized throughout the nation for his pioneering efforts on behalf of African American athletes. Pye attained many “firsts” during his long career. His achievements included being the first recognized African American sportswriter in Southern California, the first Black administrator for the NFL Commissioner and the first African American public relations and scout for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers. Also, he served nearly 30 years as the sports editor for the Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper. In this capacity, the Sentinel won top awards from the National Newspaper Publishers Association for 10 consecutive years. In addition, Pye led the effort in the 1960s for African American journalists to be admitted to the press areas of professional sports teams. In the civic arena, Pye was the first Black president of the L.A. Department of Recreation and Parks Board of Commissioners. He paved the way for the advancement of African-Americans to senior level positions within the department. In 2015, the city of Los Angeles named the gymnasium at Saint Andrews Recreation Center as the Brad Pye, Jr., Athletic Center.
Chadwick Boseman, the actor and star of the blockbuster film “Black Panther” died of stage IV colon cancer this year. The prolific actor has made numerous appearances in television and starred in many films which include Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods,” “Get on Up,” “42” and “Draft Day.” He became an icon, not just to the global Black and African American community, but to the world as T’Challa, king of Wakanda in Marvel’s “Black Panther.” The groundbreaking and award-winning film redefined the image of Black people on the screen and behind the lens with a predominately all-Black cast and director. Boseman presented the world with a regal, masculine and proud Black superhero on the screen that lit a social and cultural revolution.
DeWayne Julius Rogers, better known as singer/songwriter/producer “D.J. Rogers” passed away in 2020. The music hero to many died of heart failure at age 72. The very first song on his very first self-titled album in 1973 declared, “Listen to the Message.” D.J. Rogers is best known for composing, singing, producing and arranging one of the most poignant ballads of `70s Soul: “Say You Love Me.” This achingly vulnerable and sincere slice of Gospel-rooted R&B devotion – introduced on D.J.’s benchmark sophomore album, “It’s Good to Be Alive” (RCA – 1975) – was later recorded by Natalie Cole, Jennifer Holliday, CeCe Rogers and Danish-American star Zindy. The song was also sampled, ‘chopped-n-screwed’ style, for the hit single/video “I Don’t **** With You” by rapper Big Sean.
This year, we lost Earl G. Fraves, Sr. founder of Black Enterprise Magazine. Graves has been named one of the ten most outstanding minority businessmen in the country by the President of the United States and received the National Award of Excellence in recognition of his achievements in minority business enterprise. Black Enterprise Magazine is recognized as the definitive resource for African American business professionals, entrepreneurs, and policymakers in the public and private sectors.
Legendary basketball coach, John Thompson II passed away in 2020. The Georgetown University’s McDonough Arena is where his legacy as the first Black coach to lead a team to the NCAA men’s basketball championship will forever be cemented in history. Thompson was hired by the Georgetown Hoyas in 1972 and over the course of his 27-year tenure as the head coach of the program, he compiled a 596-239 record, led the team to 20 NCAA appearances, was instrumental in the formation of the Big East Conference, where he led the team to six Big East tournament titles, and a national championship. Just a season before he signed on, the program held a record of 3-23. Under his tutelage, the college basketball program grew to national prominence as Thompson helped to shape the careers of many prominent N.B.A. stars that include Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, Allen Iverson and Alonzo Mourning.
Pro-am golf champion Frank Snow passed away this year. Snow spent decades teaching Black youth how to golf and was a mentor of Tiger Woods long before he was famous. Snow spent over 30 years teaching golf that the Chester Washington and Maggie Hathaway golf courses. He also volunteered at the Watts-Willowbrook Boys and Girls Club as an instructor. Among his multitude of students was a young Tiger Woods. He, along with other Black golfers, guided Woods through his early years. Woods has since won 15 pro major golf championships. Snow had achievements of his own as a golfer; in 1979, he won a playoff to capture the Future Touring Pros of America event that was held in Ontario. In 1980, Snow won the Gardena Valley Open pro-am tournament.
We lost Assemblywoman Gwen Moore this year, who was first elected to the state legislature in 1978 and served for 16 years until 1994, representing California’s 49th district (redistricted and renumbered in 1990 as the 47th district), which currently includes Long Beach, Catalina Island and parts of Los Angeles and Orange counties. While serving in the Assembly, Moore, introduced over 400 bills that were signed into law. She also served as Majority Whip and was a member of a number of influential committees, including the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee. Moore was the architect and political force behind California General Order 156. It is a state supplier diversity program that has, over the years, strengthened and stabilized a number of California Black-owned, women-owned and other minority-owned small businesses by helping them secure lucrative state contracts. For her work in California and across the United States, Moore won numerous national and local awards, including honors from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Ja’Net DuBois, who played the vivacious neighbor Willona Woods on “Good Times” and composed and sang the theme song for “The Jeffersons,” passed away this year. DuBois’ song “Movin’ on Up” provided the intro to “The Jeffersons” during the show’s 10-season run. She appeared to have died of natural causes and no investigation was ongoing. DuBois had a prolific career beyond the 1970s hit “Good Times,” winning two Emmy Awards for her voice work on the WB series “The PJs.” Her film credits included 1970’s “Diary of a Mad Housewife,” “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” and “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.” She was credited in numerous other films as varied as “Basic Instinct,” “Next Friday” and “Tropic Thunder,” which included “Movin’ on Up.” DuBois was a co-founder of the Pan African Film Festival, which since 1992 has showcased films meant to promote a greater cultural understanding of people of African descent.
Former President of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings passed away and was considered a charismatic figure, who seized power railing against corruption and was responsible for executing several former heads of state for their alleged graft and mismanagement. He ushered in a long period of political stability after a tumultuous series of coups in the 1960s and 1970s. Rawlings led two coups, first in 1979, before twice being elected president in multiparty polls. In 1981, he led a second coup and was the head of a military junta until introducing multi-party elections in 1992, when he was first elected president. He stepped down in 2001 after serving two terms but continued to wield a strong influence in the country.
Joe Leonard Morgan passed away in 2020 and was known as one of the all-time greatest second basemen in Major League Baseball history. Over 22 mostly magnificent seasons, the left-handed batting Morgan, who memorably flapped his left arm before each pitch thrown to him, totaled 2,517 hits, 1,650 runs scored, and a .271 lifetime batting average. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990, Morgan began his illustrious career with the Houston Colt .45s in 1963. He remained with Houston, which in 1965 changed its nickname to the Astros for nine seasons. In 1971, the Astros traded Morgan to the Cincinnati Reds. In Cincinnati, he joined Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Ken Griffey Sr., George Foster, and others to form the renowned Big Red Machine. He earned selection to the All-Star team 10 times and won five Gold Gloves. In 1983, Morgan joined the Philadelphia Phillies and helped lead them to a World Series appearance against the Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore won the series in five games, and Morgan would play one more season, ending his career with the Oakland A’s. Additionally, he slugged 268 home runs and stole 689 bases.
The world lost a powerful civil rights leader in John Lewis in 2020, which was the beginning of a new civil rights movement. Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. Lewis’ bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress. He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority. After Democrats won control of the House in 2006, Lewis became his party’s senior deputy whip, a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified. Lewis believed in getting into “good” trouble to help make the world a better place and leaves a lasting legacy for everyone to follow.
The Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, a veteran civil rights leader who helped the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and fought against racial discrimination, died this year at the age of 98. A charismatic and fiery preacher, Lowery led the SCLC for two decades — restoring the organization’s financial stability and pressuring businesses not to trade with South Africa’s apartheid-era regime — before retiring in 1997. Lowery, considered the dean of civil rights veterans, lived to celebrate a November 2008 milestone that few of his movement colleagues thought they would ever witness — the election of an African American president. Lowery remained active in fighting issues such as war, poverty and racism long after retiring, and survived prostate cancer and throat surgery after he beat Jim Crow.
June Bacon-Bercey, America’s 1st Female TV meteorologist, dies at 90 (1/9/20) Dr. June Bacon-Bercey, a world-renowned meteorologist who was the first woman and African American to be awarded the American Meteorological Society’s (AMS) Seal of Approval for excellence in television weathercasting, died over the summer, her daughter Dail St. Claire told AccuWeather. The legendary forecaster died on July 3, 2019, at the age of 90. Bacon-Bercey was named Minority Pioneer for Achievements in Atmospheric Sciences in 2000 and is remembered for a groundbreaking legacy that includes being the first African American woman to receive a degree in meteorology (in 1955) and America’s first female TV meteorologist.
Katherine Johnson, a mathematician who calculated rocket trajectories and earth orbits for NASA’s early space missions and was later portrayed in the 2016 hit film “Hidden Figures,” about pioneering Black female aerospace workers, passed away this year of natural causes at a retirement community in Newport News, Virginia. Johnson was one of the “computers” who solved equations by hand during NASA’s early years and those of its precursor organization, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Johnson and other Black women initially worked in a racially segregated computing unit in Hampton, Virginia, that wasn’t officially dissolved until NACA became NASA in 1958. But her work at NASA’s Langley Research Center eventually shifted to Project Mercury, the nation’s first human space program. In 1961, Johnson did trajectory analysis for Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 Mission, the first to carry an American into space. The next year, she manually verified the calculations of a nascent NASA computer, an IBM 7090, which plotted John Glenn’s orbits around the planet. Johnson considered her work on the Apollo moon missions to be her greatest contribution to space exploration. Her calculations helped the lunar lander rendezvous with the orbiting command service module. She also worked on the Space Shuttle program before retiring in 1986. Johnson and her co-workers had been relatively unsung heroes of America’s Space Race. But in 2015, President Barack Obama awarded Johnson — then 97 — the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
The Los Angeles area, nation and world was shocked to hear of the loss of NBA icon, Kobe Bean Bryant, 41, and his basketball prodigy daughter, Gianna Maria Onore, 13. They were two of nine people who passed away in a helicopter accident. Kobe left the NBA with five championships, 15 All-Star Game Starts, two Olympic Gold Medals, 16 Christmas Day game appearances, 18 consecutive All Star selections, one NBA MVP award, four All-Star MVP awards and 11 All-NBA First Team selections. Kobe and Gianna leave behind their immediate family: Vanessa, Natalia Diamante, Bianca Bella, Capri Kobe, and extended family: Joe, Pamela Cox-Bryant, Sharia, and Shaya.
L.A. Sentinel veteran columnist, Larry Aubry passed away in May. Larry was an uncompromising, relentless, no-holds-barred warrior for social justice. For decades, he fought to improve conditions for African Americans in Los Angeles, but other minorities – such as Latinos and Koreans – also benefitted from his strident advocacy for equal rights. Aubry’s beliefs were likely nurtured during his early childhood in New Orleans, Louisiana, and further instilled when he and other Black students integrated L.A.’s Fremont High School in the late 1940s. His commitment to the cause continued when he served in the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s and firmly cemented by the time he graduated from UCLA in 1959. The indelible mark that Aubry left was affirmed by the countless tributes issued to mark his passing on May 16, at the age of 86. L.A. City Councilmembers Herb J. Wesson, Curren Price, Jr., and Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who sponsored a motion on May 19 to adjourn the council meeting in Aubry’s memory, reminisced about his leadership on the Black political scene. Also, several of his fellow activists, former colleagues and longtime friends, shared insight about Aubry’s impact on their lives. Aubry’s unwavering dedication to social justice inspired those who worked with him at the Sentinel as well. Larry was also a jazz aficionado who played the trumpet professionally (jazz and symphonic) as a young man and continued playing for much of his life. Aubry was married for 64 years to his wife, Gloria. They have five children: Mark Arhomuz, Kelly, Kris, Erin and Heather. Also, six grandchildren, as well as a large extended family of nieces, nephews and cousins survive him.
In 2020, we lost Little Richard, a rock ‘n’ roll pioneer, who amazed us with electrifying piano skills and a style that couldn’t be imitated. Little Richard leaves a legacy few in the music industry get to realize and a number of hits that are a part of the fabric of American culture and music. It was at a recording session at J & M Studio in New Orleans, Louisiana, where everything would change for Little Richard. During the session, he yelled those famous lines, “Tutti Frutti,” and “A wop bop a loo bop, a lop bam boom!” Releasing songs on Specialty Records, his performances broke color lines and generated hits such as “Rip It Up,” “Long Tall Sally,” “Ready Teddy,” “Good Golly, Miss Molly,” and “Send Me Some Lovin’,” among others. In the mid-1950s, his croons, wails, and screams were new to popular music and made a distinguishing impression from other artists. Along with Elvis Presley, Little Richard’s singing and musicianship inspired up-and-coming rock musicians. His success and notoriety got him featured in some of the earliest rock-and-roll movies, like “Don’t Knock the Rock,” “The Girl Can’t Help It” and “Mr. Rock and Roll.
The world received the devastating news that on Monday morning December 7, 2020, Natalie Desselle Reid at 53-years-old passed away due to colon cancer. It was a private battle she was facing with the support of her husband Leonard Reid and three children that she leaves memories of priceless family time with. Desselle Reid developed the reputation of being “sweet and giving” as her peers recollect interactions with her during this unfortunate time. Recounting her steps, Desselle Reid realized early on that she had a gift of mastering multiple characters and found the stage to be a fitting home to invite people to showcase her talent. The stage was beckoning her name again, as she prepared for B.A.P.S live play before the COVID-19 outbreak delayed production. Desselle Reid learned of her condition earlier this year and spent her last few days in hospice care.
We unfortunately lost actress Naya Rivera tragically this year. Rivera began acting at 4, appearing in such series as “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Family Matters” and “The Bernie Mac Show.” She rose to national attention playing a lesbian teen on “Glee,” which aired from 2009 until 2015 on Fox. Some of her more memorable songs on the show include a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” with guest star Gwyneth Paltrow, “Here Comes the Sun” with Demi Lovato, and a tearful cover of The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young.” After the show, Rivera sought success in film and music. She made her feature film debut in 2014’s “At the Devil’s Door,” playing a woman caught in the middle of supernatural events, and released the single “Sorry” in 2013. Most recently, Rivera had a role on Lifetime’s “Devious Maids,” released her memoir in 2016 and played school administrator Collette Jones in the YouTube Red online series “Step Up: High Water” starring Ne-Yo.
Olympic decathlon gold medalist Rafer Johnson, who lit the torch at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to open the 1984 Summer Games, passed away this year. Beyond his decorated athletic career, Johnson gained fame for helping to capture assassin Sirhan Sirhan after the shooting of Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in 1968. The UCLA graduate also was renowned for his sportsmanship and civic generosity, co-founding Special Olympics Southern California in 1969 and serving as its president for 10 years. Johnson was hailed as the “World’s Greatest Athlete” after he won the grueling 10-event decathlon at the 1960 Rome Olympics, where he also broke social barriers as the first Black flag bearer for the United States. He eventually set three decathlon world records three different times in his career.
Reginald Eugene Utley, one of L.A.’s heralded gospel deejays, passed away from a heart attack this year, leaving thousands of ardent fans that he had accumulated in his 50+ years on the airwaves. He was 69-years-old. Utley made a lasting impact in L.A. known by many handles such as “The Gospel Ambassador” and “The Demon Slayer,” he began his professional gospel radio career at KGFJ and went to worked at KMAX, KACE and KTYM. Utley also served as a TV program announcer for several Badami Productions’ shows including “Gospel Music Presents” and “African American Short Films.” In addition, he was the creator, producer and host of “Gospel Newsbreak from Hollywood,” which aired on BET’s “Dr. Bobby Jones Gospel Show” as well as served as the news anchor for The Gospel Network.
2020 saw the loss of another civil rights pioneer in the Reverend C.T. Vivian. He was active in sit-in protests in Peoria, Illinois, in the 1940s, and met King during the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott — a demonstration spurred by Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat to a White rider. The 13-month mass protest drew international attention. Rev. Vivian went on to become an active early member of the group that eventually became the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. By 1965, Rev. Vivian had become the director of national affiliates for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference when he led a group of people to register to vote in Selma, Alabama.
This year, Rita Walters passed away while in hospice care from Alzheimer’s disease. The 89-year-old paved an impressive road of firsts and civil rights activity with her life. After teaching for a while, Walters would eventually run for a seat on the school board, but didn’t win until the third time. While on the school board, she fought for the busing program and placing Black students in schools in unintegrated areas. Walters, served on the LAUSD board for more than a decade before being elected to the City Council. She went on to be the first Black woman elected to the Los Angeles City Council filling the 9th District seat left vacant by the 1990 death of Councilman Gilbert Lindsay. On the city council, she raised her voice against police brutality, fought for economic empowerment and making sure her district was being served. She also chaired the Arts, Health and Humanities Committee, which reviewed matters related to the Library Department for the City Council.
In 2020, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away and was known as a women’s rights champion who became the court’s second female justice. On the court, where she was known as a facile writer, her most significant majority opinions were the 1996 ruling that ordered the Virginia Military Institute to accept women or give up its state funding, and the 2015 decision that upheld independent commissions some states use to draw congressional districts. Besides civil rights, Ginsburg took an interest in capital punishment, voting repeatedly to limit its use. During her tenure, the court declared it unconstitutional for states to execute the intellectually disabled and killers younger than 18. Ginsburg authored powerful dissents of her own in cases involving abortion, voting rights and pay discrimination against women. Ginsburg spent her final years on the bench as the unquestioned leader of the court’s liberal wing and became something of a rock star to her admirers. Young women especially seemed to embrace the court’s Jewish grandmother, affectionately calling her the Notorious RBG, for her defense of the rights of women and minorities, and the strength and resilience she displayed in the face of personal loss and health crises.
The body of former World Wrestling Entertainment pro Shad Gaspard was found early earlier this year after he was caught in a rip current. Patrol officers were flagged down around 1:25 a.m. by a person reporting that a body had washed ashore, a Police Department statement said. Gaspard, 39, gained prominence in the WWE as one half of the tag-team group Cryme Tyme, along with his partner, JTG. After retiring in 2010, Gaspard has had small roles on TV and in movies, including the 2015 Kevin Hart comedy “Get Hard.” He was about 50 yards (46 meters) from shore when he was last spotted by a lifeguard, police said. A wave crashed over him and he was swept out to sea.
“Sweet” Lou Johnson, who hit a key home run for the victorious Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the 1965 World Series against Minnesota, passed away this year. Johnson played 17 seasons in professional baseball including eight years in the Majors with the Chicago Cubs (1960, ‘68), Angels (1961, ‘69), Milwaukee Braves (1962), Dodgers (1965-67) and Cleveland Indians (1968). Johnson played in 677 games and hit .258 with 48 homers and 232 RBI in his career, and helped the Dodgers to two postseason berths in 1965 and 1966. In 1965, he was called up and hit .259 with 24 doubles, 12 homers, 58 RBI and 15 stolen bases. Johnson also recorded the lone Dodgers’ hit and scored the lone run in Sandy Koufax’s perfect game on Sept. 9, 1965 against the Chicago Cubs. Between his time as a player and a front office employee in the Community Relations Department, Johnson worked for the Dodgers for 40 seasons.
Tommy Lister, a former professional wrestler and later actor, passed away in 2020. Lister started his career as a pro wrestler, standing 6-foot-5 with broad shoulders at about 275 pounds. In acting, his early roles included HBO football series “1st & Ten” along with movie appearances in “Beverly Hills Cop II,” which starred Eddie Murphy, and “No Holds Barred,” the 1989 film where his character Zeus challenged Hulk Hogan in a wrestling match. Lister’s most notable role came in the 1995 film “Friday” and its sequel five years later. He portrayed the role of Deebo, a felon who was known as the neighborhood bully who terrorized his neighbors with intimidation and fear. Lister also appeared in “The Fifth Element,” “The Dark Knight” and “Austin Powers in Goldmember.”
We lost Wes Unseld this year, who began his pro career as a rookie MVP, led Washington to its only NBA championship and was chosen one of the 50 greatest players in league history, died after a prolonged battle with pneumonia. He spent his entire 13-season playing career with the Bullets-Wizards franchise, then was its coach and general manager. Unseld instantly made the team then known as the Baltimore Bullets into a winner after he was taken with the No. 2 overall pick. In the NBA, Unseld averaged 10.8 points and 14 rebounds for his career and is still Washington’s career leader in total boards. He was No. 1 in assists, too, until John Wall overtook him in 2016. Unseld was Washington’s head coach from 1987-94, going 202-345 with one playoff appearance. He also had a seven-year stint as GM from 1996-03, with one other postseason trip.
John Outterbridge, a central figure in the Black assemblage arts movement and former director of the Watts Towers Arts Center, died this year. The date, place and cause of death, were not disclosed. He was 87. Outterbridge grew up exposed to the practice of recycling materials through his father, a hauler and mover who salvaged junk and used goods. From a childhood spent amid such cast-off items, Outterbridge developed an appreciation for both the practical and the aesthetic motivations for using found objects in his own art. Beginning in the 1960s, Outterbridge and other artists sought a new visual language to express the African American experience, one that did not depend solely on representation. An educator and activist, Outterbridge began teaching at the Compton Communicative Arts Academy and the Watts Towers Arts Center in the mid-1960s. He became director of the academy around 1970 and of the arts center in 1975. While juggling these positions, Outterbridge also worked at the Pasadena Art Museum from 1967 to 1974 as a preparator and installer, a job that exposed him to the work of Mark di Suvero, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, and other artists who experimented with materials and tools.
