Benjamin Richmond’s friends and colleagues describe his 28 years of service leading the Louisville Urban League as “foundational.” He helped build the League into the city’s most prominent Black-led organization focused on racial equity and economic development. He died on Jan. 16 after battling acute myeloid leukemia.
Lyndon Pryor , the League’s current president and CEO, said Richmond excelled at forming relationships with people in “positions of power and privilege,” and leveraging those relationships to build a more just city. Pryor said Richmond created a strong foundation for his successor, Sadiqa Reynolds .
“He did a lot of things, albeit somewhat quietly, to move this city forward and be able to position this organization in such a way that when Sadiqa arrived she was able to catapult it to the next level,” Pryor said.
In a statement, Reynolds said Richmond’s help was crucial to bringing to life her idea for a track and field complex in west Louisville.
“He didn’t hesitate to offer his support and influence,” Reynolds said. “He was always willing to work to help me and the League. He was a movement man.”