Two towering figures of the Black community have passed away. Although from two generations, and in very different ways each has had a profound impact on the lives of Black folks in the U.S.

Civil rights leader Dorothy Height dies at 98 | Reuters

Trained as a social worker, Height began her career as an advocate for civil rights and gender equality during the 1930s, working to prevent lynching, desegregate the U.S. armed forces, reform the criminal justice system and work for free access to public accommodations in the United States.

Height died at Howard University Hospital of natural causes, a hospital spokesman said.

“Ms. Height was arguably the most influential woman at the top levels of civil rights leadership, but she never drew the major media attention that conferred celebrity and instant recognition on some of the other civil rights leaders of her time,” the Washington Post said in an obituary in its online edition.

Dorothy Height

“Every struggle has the same concerns at the bottom of them,” Height says. “Race, color, creed, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, it all matters. We need to go back to the time of the March on Washington. That time in 1963. That coming together of all backgrounds with a fiery sense of righteous indignation.”

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Guru Dies Aged 43 | Billboard.com

Rapper Guru has died aged 43 after a long battle with cancer, according to statements published online.

The New York MC – whose real name was Keith Elam – suffered cardiac arrest on March 2 and had been in a coma.

His death was announced on the DJ Premier Blog site. Premier and Guru made up the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, which released six albums between 1989 and 2003. Guru went on to release a series of “Jazzmatazz” albums featuring collaborations with Cortney Pine, Roy Ayers and Kool Keith.

A very sad day.