Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks Who We’ve Lost In 2024

UPDATED: 7:30 a.m. ET., October 24th, 2024

As we’ve come to understand year after year, day after day even, death is unfortunately an inevitable part of life. Still, as much of a fact as that may be, the blow of experiencing loss never gets any easier, nor does reporting on the subject in Black culture.

Elizabeth Francis, the oldest living person in the United States passed away peacefully on Tuesday night (October 22nd) while surrounded by her family.

According to Longeviquest.com, at 115 years old, Francis was the third oldest living person in the world at the time of her passing. Francis was born in Louisiana in 1909 and had a sister who lived to age 106 before her death in 2011, according to LongeviQuest.

Francis was considered a “supercentenarian,” meaning a person who has reached the age of 110 or older. Major events Francis lived through include:

1910s: World War I (1914-1918): A global conflict primarily involving European powers, leading to significant political changes and the Treaty of Versailles.

1920s: The Roaring Twenties: A decade of economic growth and cultural change, particularly in the United States and Europe, followed by the stock market crash of 1929.

1930s: The Great Depression: A severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s, starting in the United States.

1940s: World War II (1939-1945): A global war involving most of the world’s nations, resulting in significant geopolitical changes and the establishment of the United Nations. The Holocaust: The genocide of six million Jews and millions of others by Nazi Germany.

1950s: The Beginning of Cold War: A period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States. Korean War (1950-1953): A conflict between North Korea (with Chinese and Soviet support) and South Korea (with United Nations and U.S. support).

1960s: Civil Rights Movement: A struggle for social justice in the United States aiming to end racial discrimination. The Assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr and Robert F. Kennedy. Moon Landing (1969): NASA’s Apollo 11 mission successfully lands the first humans on the Moon.

1980s: Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989): A pivotal event leading to the end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany.

1990s: End of Apartheid (1994): Nelson Mandela is elected President of South Africa, marking the end of apartheid.

2000s: 9/11 Attacks (2001): Terrorist attacks in the United States that led to the War on Terror.

Learn more below about who in our culture has passed away so far this year in 2024 Below