He was THE Historian for Black Chicago. I could listen to him for hours on end. He was a fountain of knowledge.

RIP for a life well lived in service to the community.😢🙏🏽😢🙏🏽

#BREAKING: Timuel Black, a political and civil rights activist, educator, historian, prolific author and revered elder statesman and griot of Chicago’s Black community, died Wednesday. He was 102. https://t.co/Xxl7626HL6

— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) October 13, 2021

Today, we lost an icon with the passing of Timuel Black. Over his 102 years, Tim was many things: a veteran, historian, author, educator, civil rights leader, and humanitarian. Michelle and I send our thoughts to his family, and everyone who loved him. https://t.co/EDxgIGbZHB

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 13, 2021

My statement on the passing of Dr. Timuel Black: pic.twitter.com/mK9qECExvR

— Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) October 13, 2021

.@Suntimes broke the sad news of the passing of #TimuelBlack, the 102-year-old statesman and griot of #Chicago’s #Blackcommunity.
Read our expansive tribute to this #historian, #author and political and #civilrights #activist and his life of service. https://t.co/qDBRfUBLBp pic.twitter.com/7qLT8nFyjB

— Maudlyne Ihejirika (@maudlynei) October 13, 2021

Rest in power #timuelblack who moved to #Chicago early in first Great Migration, served in WWII, taught countless Chicagoans in CPS & City Colleges, and remained a go-to historian into his second century of life. He died today at his Drexel Boulevard home. https://t.co/rmXYD2sbrY

— Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project (@ChicagoRaceRiot) October 13, 2021

#TimuelBlack, a professor, author, &community activist,was a great teacher&a tall tree in the civil rights.He was a devotee of Dr. King’s work& those who worked on his staff.We all have a profound admiration for Tim Black.He is an icon of rare vintage…I miss him already. #RIP pic.twitter.com/GzcyjyMfHI

— Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) October 14, 2021

The legendary political and civil rights activist, Timuel Black passed away at age, 102. He was our longest living Chicago activist. #timuelblack ✊🏽 pic.twitter.com/SI6NpIF34E

— Mike Payne (@Ilikemikepayne) October 13, 2021

I urge you all to go read about the Civil Rights titan that is Timuel Black. He passed away at 102, today. I've just begun to read about him and DAMN, the man put in WORK to move us in the right direction! #TimuelBlack

— Estronaut 🇵🇭 (@estronautgaming) October 14, 2021

If you're not familiar w/ #TimuelBlack's life & work, please read this. Black helped liberate Buchenwald, desegregate Chicago's public spaces, and register & rally new voters to elect the city's first Black mayor. And that's just a tiny bit of his story. https://t.co/YHkahnNWpO

— Laura Seay (@texasinafrica) October 14, 2021

“He was a living, walking, breathing history book, which is something that is so rare and unusual and unique.”

Perri Irmer, friend of #TimuelBlack and President of @DuSableMuseum remarked on the life and loss of a cornerstone leader. The story is on @WBBMNewsradio this evening.

— Ascha Lee (@AschaWBBM) October 13, 2021