We were rocked by the news of the passing of James Earl Jones, an EGOT achiever and a pioneer for Black actors in the entertainment industry. Known for his extensive and acclaimed roles on stage as King Lear, Othello, and Jack Jefferson; on screen in Field of Dreams, Coming to America, and Meteor Man; and through his voice as Darth Vader and Mufasa—his presence on Earth will be missed, but his impact will not be forgotten.

Today, we honor James Earl Jones's memory. May he rest in peace.

*Please excuse our usage of the wrong last name for James Earl Jones' character in The Great White Hope. While Jack Johnson was the real boxer who the story was about, James Earl Jones played the character Jack Jefferson in both the stage and film adaptation. Once again, we apologize for the error*