by Dianne Anderson Even with a long list of noteworthy titles and a résumé that reads more like a book of lifetime achievements, Horace Boatwright was never braggadocious, always kept low-key and quietly confident – both in and out of uniform. Everyone recognized him as an all-around good man, basically the poster guy for the ...

By Stacy M. Brown Black Press USA Sr Natl Correspondent Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82. His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic ...

By Stacy M. Brown BlackPressUSA.com Senior National Correspondent   Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff and a global voice for the poor, immigrants, and the environment, died Monday at age 88. Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced his death from the Domus Santa Marta, the Vatican residence where Francis chose to live instead of the Apostolic ...

By Stacy M. Brown BlackPressUSA Sr Natl Correspondent The music and entertainment world reacted in shock and sorrow after the tragic death of Angie Stone, the pioneering singer-songwriter and hip-hop trailblazer who was killed in a car accident early Saturday morning in Montgomery, Alabama. She was 63. Stone’s publicist, Deborah R. Champagne, confirmed the devastating ...

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Sr Natl Correspondent Nikki Giovanni, the groundbreaking poet, author, and professor whose work embodied the spirit of the Black Arts Movement and beyond, died on Monday in Blacksburg, Virginia. She was 81. Her wife, Virginia C. Fowler, confirmed the cause was complications from lung cancer. Born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni ...

Lifelong Inland Empire resident Al Jury was a local legend. Throughout his celebrated life, Jury influenced thousands of individuals and mentored hundreds of youth. If you played youth sports in the area between 1960’s and 1990’s you more than likely crossed paths with Al Jury at some point.  The Inland Empire will mourn the loss ...

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Sr Natl Correspondent Quincy Jones, the record producer, arranger, and cultural trailblazer whose influence spanned more than seven decades, has died at 91. His publicist, Arnold Robinson, confirmed his death in a statement, noting that Jones died peacefully at his home in Bel Air. The statement did not specify ...

By Dianne Anderson Rev. Dr. Elizabeth “Elsie Faye” Coleman Dowdy loved horses, and although she didn’t ride them, she did walk them around by the leash to make sure they got their exercise. As Pastor, she saved people, and also the many cats of her Sage Blossom House, a place for orphans and strays that ...

By Dianne Anderson Reginald “Reggie” Webb was well revered for decades as a McDonald’s mogul, and not just for his personal wealth and business acumen. For those who knew him, he brought more to the table than many people realize, and his vision lives on. Bishop L. Kirk Sykes said Dr. Webb took up the mantle to speak ...

By Stacy M. Brown Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, one of the longest-serving members of the Texas delegation, has died at the age of 74. In June, Jackson Lee announced her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, yet she showed little indication of letting it interfere with her plans to run for a 16th term this November. ...