2025 was a tough year as we lost many Black legends we knew and loved. Now, as 2026 rolls past the halfway mark, we continue to say goodbye to even more of those who had such a tremendous impact on the culture. Although they are gone, they will never be forgotten. From actors to athletes, to politicians and more, we're honoring the Black legends we lost in 2026.

Tom Hardy just dropped an album with Czarface, a group formed by Wu-Tang Clan member Inspectah Deck and 7L & Esoteric, under the pseudonym Frankie Pulitzer. The songs are pretty good, and one features rap legends Busta Rhymes and Method Man. Hardy isn't new to rap though, having scored a record deal as a rapper at just 15 years old.

Jake Paul told UFC heavyweight Josh Hokit he would "gladly embarrass" him after the former NFL player challenged Paul to settle their online argument in a boxing ring.

Seventy-one years ago, 14-year-old Emmett Till was kidnapped, brutally tortured, shot and thrown into the Tallahatchie River by two white men who walked free. As the 71st Emmett Till Anniversary Commemoration Weekend kicks off in Mississippi, his legacy continues to confront the undeniable reality that systemic injustice is still alive and well today. Generations have passed since 1955, but the horror hasn't stopped. It has only evolved. Black families are still burying sons found hanging from trees, while police labeled their deaths suicides.

Drake just went from Iceman to Iron Man, rocking Tony Stark's signature armor in Toronto while filming what appears to be an upcoming music video. Drizzy was spotted roaming the Canadian National Exhibition in the iconic red-and-gold Marvel hero armor, greeting fans and looking ready to drop bars or blast somebody with a repulsor beam. Another person decked out in a silver Iron Man-style suit was right there with him.

Six decades after Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Black Americans returned to the same steps with a familiar message: the fight for voting rights isn't over. The National Action Network and Drum Major Institute organized a march bringing together activists, students, parents and everyday people who wanted to make their voices heard and stand up for the political power previous generations fought to secure.

NBA YoungBoy throws the woman to the floor like a ragdoll, and then yanks her around and drags her on the floor. The woman looks scared out of her wits, struggling to get away from YoungBoy, who just won't let up. At one point, he rips off her top and it appears she's bleeding from a facial injury but in the end they walk off together down the hallway.

Just when you thought the battle between the late Aretha Franklin's sons involving her assets was over, a new report is unfortunately proving otherwise. Now we have new details on why the estate issues haven't been resolved. Franklin's two sons, Kecalf Franklin Cunningham and Ted White II, are embroiled in a legal battle over the copyright interests in songs including Think and Dr. Feelgood.

Jax Taylor appears to have confirmed he is dating someone as speculation continues to link him to Lori Krebs, his ex-wife Brittany Cartwright's former publicist. The Valley alum made the revealing comment beneath a shirtless pool photo he shared on Instagram on July 29, replying "No thanks I am taken" when a fan suggested he become the next bachelor.

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