Chadwick Boseman | Photography by Dennis Leupold By Jennifer Ogunsola ·November 19, 2020November 19, 2020
“Five, four, three, two, one. HAPPY NEW YEAR!” At 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2019, we all raised our glasses of champagne for a toast, took a spoonful of those good luck black-eyed peas, said a quick prayer and sang this in unison as we entered into the year of 2020 expecting happiness.
Little did we know, there’d be a long list of reasons that would make 2020 one of, if not the most trying years that we’d ever seen. And at the top of that list is the loss of human souls—our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. And we cannot forget about those strangers who became like family after giving us some of the greatest songs, performances on and off the field, and performances in our favorite TV shows and movies. We even lost a few of our champions who sacrificed their lives so that our lives would be filled with more equality, equity and justice.
Browsing through this year’s social media feeds, you’ll find farewell tributes to notable people like NBA legend Kobe Bryant, civil rights icon John Lewis, our forever Wakanda king Chadwick Boseman, and countless others who’ve left an indelible mark on our lives.
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the countless extraordinary people who we’ve lost in 2020 due to America’s destruction of Black lives. While their lives meant nothing to the systems that work to destroy Blackness and the people who uphold those systems, their lives mean everything to us. They are us. Let’s continue to give them the attention and love they deserved while living. They have forever changed the world, and we will always honor them. George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Jacob Blake. Rayshard Brooks. Daniel Prude. Every. Single. Other. We see you. We love you. We honor you. We will never forget you.
Scroll down through the gallery as ESSENCE pays tribute to those who we’ve lost.
01Lexii Alijai, January 1Alexis Alijai Lynch, who went by Lexii Alijai and was the granddaughter of Roger Troutman, founder of the band, Zapp, died on New Year’s Day from an accidental drug overdose. The Saint Paul, Minnesota rapper was a rising star in the hip-hop industry and worked closely with artists like Kehlani and Elle Varner. She was 21. 
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 05: Lexii Alijai attends PrettyLittleThing X Hailey Baldwin at Catch on November 05, 2018 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Presley Ann/FilmMagic) 02Kobe Bryant, January 26On January 26, 2020, we lost the Black Mamba, Kobe Bean Bryant. The 18-time All-Star who won five NBA championships and became one of the greatest basketball players ever during his 20-year career with the Lakers died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA. Kobe was traveling with eight other people, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. There were no survivors. He was 41. 
03Nikita Pearl Waligwa, February 15The star of Disney’s Queen of Katwe died at age 15 after fighting a brain tumor for three years. The film’s director Mira Nair helped to raise funds for treatment during an earlier bout with the illness; however, it returned a few years later. Queen of Katwe was the young, Ugandan actress’ film debut. 
Disney 04Ja’Net DuBois, February 17We all fell in love with the actress, singer and songwriter in her role as Willona Woods on the CBS sitcom Good Times. DuBois, who began her acting career during the early 1960s, died at age 74 at her home in Glendale, California. This may be news to some, but the Broadway actress was also the singer and co-writer of Movin’ on Up, the theme song for The Jeffersons. 
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – DECEMBER 01:Actress Ja’net DuBois arrives at the Heroes In The Struggle Gala at Director’s Guild Of America on December 1, 2016 in West Hollywood, California.(Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images) 05Pop Smoke, February 19The up-and-coming rapper, born Bashar Barakah Jackson, was killed by masked gunman in a Los Angeles home invasion on February 19. His hit singles, Welcome to the Party, Dior, Gatti and Christopher Walking brought him to the verge of an international breakthrough, but he passed just two weeks before his second EP debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard album chart. The Brooklyn native’s debut studio album was posthumously released in July and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with all 19 tracks from the album charting on the Billboard Hot 100. 
PARIS, FRANCE – JANUARY 16: Pop Smoke attends the Louis Vuitton Menswear Fall/Winter 2020-2021 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 16, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) 06B. Smith, February 22Smith, who got her start as a model before becoming a famous restaurateur and author, passed away peacefully at age 70 after suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The lifestyle guru, born Barbara Elaine Smith but known to us as B., went on to write three cookbooks, host a nationally syndicated show, B. Smith With Style and open three eponymous restaurants. 
Portrait of American restaurateur and television host B. Smith (born Barbara Smith), New York, 1990s. (Photo by Anthony Barboza/Getty Images) 07Roger Mayweather, March 17The former boxing champion and uncle of Floyd Mayweather died on March 17 after a long battle with diabetes and deteriorating health. The 58-year-old legendary boxer and trainer was a two-division boxing world champion. 
Roger Mayweather, March 17 08Bill Withers, March 30The three-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter famous for timeless classics like, Lean on Me, Lovely Day and Ain’t No Sunshine died from heart complications. Withers, who left the music industry in the mid-1980s, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. He was 81. 
Andrew Zukerman 09Chynna, April 8Chynna Marie Rogers, a rising rapper known for her collaborations and solo recordings with the hip hop collective, A$AP Mob, died on April 8 of an accidental drug overdose in her hometown of Philadelphia. The rising star’s death came just four months after she released her third EP, “If I Die First”. At 14, Chynna was discovered by a Ford Models agency scout and appeared in ads and runway shows for major fashion companies like DKNY. She was 25. 
Instagram 10Andre Harrell, May 7The legendary music executive and founder of Uptown Records also known for discovering Sean “Diddy” Combs and managing Motown Records died at age 59 of heart failure in his West Hollywood home. Harrell began his successful music career as an artist with rap duo Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Last December, BET announced a three-part scripted miniseries chronicling the life and story of Harrell and Uptown Records, titled Uptown, scheduled to be released by 2021. 
Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images 11Little Richard, May 9Born Richard Wayne Penniman, the rock and roll legend, who brought us smash hits like “Tutti Fruitti” and “Good Golly Miss Molly”, passed away at the age of 87 following his battle with bone cancer. According to his agent of 40 years, Dick Allen, ‘The Innovator, The Originator, and the Architect of Rock and Roll’ died in Nashville with his brother and son by his side. 
12Betty Wright, May 10The Grammy Award-winning soul singer, whose hits include “Tonight Is the Night” and “No Pain, (No Gain),” died from cancer on May 10 at age 66. Born Bessie Regina Norris, the Miami native landed her first record deal at just twelve years old and went on to release more than 10 top 20 hits. Her first and only Grammy award was in 1976 for her hit song, “Where Is the Love.” 
Betty Wright, circa 1970 13Gregory Tyree Boyce, May 13The 30-year-old actor, Gregory Boyce, along with his girlfriend Natalie Adepoju, were found dead in Las Vegas on May 13 from an accidental drug overdose. The actor, who appeared in the 2008 film “Twilight,” leaves behind his 10-year-old daughter Alaya. 
14Bonnie Pointer “Pointer Sisters,” June 8The Grammy-winning singer and songwriter, who was one of the founding siblings of the ‘70s and ‘80s R&B group, The Pointer Sisters, died on June 8 at her home in Los Angeles of cardiac arrest. In the mid-1970s, she left the group to pursue a solo career and signed a deal with Motown earning her first hit single, “Heaven Must Have Sent You,” which reached No 11 on the US mainstream pop chart. She was 69. 
Bonnie Pointer of The Pointer Sisters attends the grand opening of Bravada Women’s Athletica in Los Angeles, California, June 2010. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic) 15Jas Fly, June 9The trailblazing TV writer and entertainment journalist Jas Waters, known for her standout work on series such as NBC’s This Is Us, Showtime’s Kidding and VH1’s The Breaks, passed away on June 9 at age 39. Earlier in her career, she was a a columnist for Vibe magazine and ran her own entertainment website. Her cause of death was listed as hanging and the manner of death was ruled as a suicide. 
Jas Fly 16Naya Rivera, July 13The Glee star was found dead on July 13, five days after she went missing while boating with her 4-year-old son, Josey Dorsey, on Lake Piru in Ventura County, California. The California native’s acting career started at age 4 in her first recurring role on the CBS sitcom, The Royal Family. As her career in Hollywood expanded, she had appearances on shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Matters and The Bernie Mac Show. The 33-year-old played Santana Lopez on Glee appearing in all six seasons of the musical comedy’s six seasons. 
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 09:Naya Rivera arrives for the March Of Dimes: Imagine A World Premiere Event at L.A. LIVEâs Microsoft Square on November 9, 2017 in Los Angeles, Californi(Photo by Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images) 17Zindzi Mandela, July 13Zindzi Mandela, South Africa’s ambassador to Denmark and the youngest daughter of Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandel, died on July 13 at age 59. 
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 08:Zindzi Mandela, daughter of Nelson Mandela attend BET Honors 2014 at Warner Theatre on February 8, 2014 in Washington, DC.(Photo by Paras Griffin/WireImage) 18John Lewis, July 17The renowned civil rights icon, legend, and activist and longtime Congressman who taught us all the importance of getting into “Good Trouble” died at age 80 after battling stage four pancreatic cancer. The longest-serving member of the Congressional Black Caucus also known as the conscience of the Congress was diagnosed in December 2019, our fearless leader was a fighter for justice for all until the very end. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his life’s work. 
UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 24: Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., is seen near the statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in the Capitol Rotunda before a memorial service for the late Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., in Statuary Hall on Thursday, October 24, 2019. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images), 19C.T. Vivian, July 17The early civil rights leader and field general for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr died at age 95 at his home in Atlanta. As a disciplined advocate of nonviolence, Vivian lead sit-ins, boycotts and marches in segregated cities across the country and served as the national director of 85 local chapters of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). In 2013, the pastor and leading member of The Freedom Riders, who was born Cordy Tindell Vivian, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 
ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 05: C.T. Vivian attends Tyler Perry Studios Grand Opening Gala – Arrivals at Tyler Perry Studios on October 5, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage) 20Malik B “The Roots,” July 29Malik Abdul-Basit, who is better known as Malik B., a co-founding member of the illustrious rap group, Roots, died on July 29 at age 47. The innovative and gifted MC appeared on the group’s first four LPs and later returned as a featured artist for some later albums. 
Malik B. of The Roots 21Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, September11Lead singer and songwriter, Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, of Toots and the Maytals and one of reggae’s foundational figures died in Kingston, Jamaica on September 11 surrounded by family and friends. Hibbert is widely credited as a pioneer for the reggae genre, and his 1986 song, “Do the Reggay,” is said to have given a name to Jamaica’s signature music genre. The reggae pioneer was 77 years old. 
Jamaican Reggae & Ska musician Toots Hibbert, of the group Toots and the Maytals, performs onstage at Park West, Chicago, Illinois, April 2, 1982. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) 22Pamela Hutchinson, September 18Pamela Hutchinson, singer from the iconic R&B trio, The Emotions, died on Sept. 18, 2020 at 61. The group, which consisted of Pamela and her two sisters, were best known for hits such as the Grammy-winning “Best of My Love.” The 61-year-old songbird succumbed to health challenges that she’s been battling for several years. 
23Chadwick Boseman, August 28A superhero and forever our King. Chadwick Aaron Boseman, best known for his role as King T’Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Black Panther, died at the age of 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer.A true fighter, from Black Panther to 21 Bridges, Marshall, Da 5 Bloods and several more, the Howard alum persevered and brought us these films while undergoing countless surgeries and chemotherapy. He died at home with his wife and family by his side. 
Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic 24Ruth Bader Ginsburg, September 18The Supreme Court justice and women’s rights pioneer died on September 18 at age 87 after battling metastatic pancreatic cancer. The legal, cultural and feminist icon died at her home in Washington, DC surrounded by her family. The architect of the legal fight for women’s rights in the 1970s was appointed in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, and subsequently served 27 years on the nation’s highest court, becoming its most prominent member. 
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 21:Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg presents onstage at a reception before An Historic Evening with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Temple Emanu-El Skirball Center on September 21, 2016 in New York City.(Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images) 25Clifford Robinson, August 29Clifford Robinson, the 6-foot-10-inch basketball phenom who led the University of Connecticut to the 1988 national championships when the Huskies had yet to become a national collegiate power and played for 18 seasons in the NBA, died of lymphoma at his home in Portland, Oregon on August 29. After retiring in 2007, “Uncle Cliffy” traveled to the Philippines to compete on Survivor: Cagayan in 2013. He was 53. 
DALLAS – DECEMBER 14:Clifford Robinson #3 of the Golden State Warriors rests during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on December 14, 2004 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The Warriors defeated the Mavericks 111-107.NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Licence Agreement.(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) 26Thomas Jefferson Byrd, October 3Tony Award-nominated stage and film actor Thomas Jefferson Byrd was found shot to death in Atlanta on October 3. Byrd starred in several films directed by Spike Lee including “He Got Game,” “Get on the Bus” and “Clockers.” He was 70. 
Actor Thomas Jefferson Byrd poses for a portrait at the 2014 American Black Film Festival at the Metropolitan Pavillion on June 21, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) 27Bishop Rance Allen, October 31 
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 15:Singer Rance Allen performs onstage during BET Celebration of Gospel 2014 at Orpheum Theatre on March 15, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for BET) 28Bert Belasco, November 8 
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 20: Bert Belasco attends the 2011 BET Networks Upfront at the Best Buy Theater on April 20, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Donna Ward/Getty Images) TOPICS: actor death Breonna Taylor Celebration of Life celebrity deaths george flyod
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