The 2023 Defender Stories that Defined Our City: The People We Lost

In 2023, we lost more of our heroes, luminaries who distinguished themselves in the arts, business, media and music.& They were titans in their respective industries whose contributions will continue reverberating beyond our city’s borders.& Their works will endure perpetually as poetry on the page, haircare products on our shelves, characters on big and small screens and sculptures — forged in copper, stone and steel — that adorn our public spaces throughout the globe.& We compiled the obituaries we wrote in 2023 to honor these giants who bore some connection to our Chicago, either through birth, residence or work.& Dr. Johari M. Amini-Hudson: Dr. Johari M. Amini-Hudson, Third World Press Co-Founder, Has Passed Away Harry Belafonte: What Our 2009 Interview With Harry Belafonte Taught Us Andre Braugher: Chicagoan and Emmy-Winning Actor Andre Braugher Dies at 61 DJ Casper: DJ Casper, Creator of Iconic ‘Cha Cha Slide,’ Dies After Cancer Battle Joyce Chapman: Chicago Mourns the Loss of Civic Leader and Activist Joyce Chapman Bettiann Gardner: Soft Sheen Co-Founder Bettiann Gardner, Trailblazer in Black Hair Care, Dies at 93 Edward G, Gardner: Soft Sheen Founder Hair Care Products Founder Dies at 98 Richard Hunt: Renowned Sculptor Richard Hunt, Shaped by Tragedy...