Joan B. Gray

Joan B. Gray affectionately known by some as “Joanie”, was born July 29, 1949 to Edith Arlene Langford and William Lincoln Gray in Chicago, Illinois. Joan passed away peacefully on March 2, 2024.

Joan will be remembered as the loving matriarch of her family, a loyal friend, a staunch supporter of the arts, and a cultural trailblazer.

Family Matriarch

Joan was a loving mother, grandmother, & great grandmother and embraced her role as the matriarch of her entire family. Her home was always the center of family gatherings where she enjoyed hosting almost all holidays, especially Thanksgiving, and many other family dinners. Anyone who needed a warm meal, a welcoming, safe place to stay, or just an ear for support, always knew they could count on Joan. She led her family with compassion, non-judgement, and truth that made everyone feel accepted and loved. The younger generation regarded Joan as their beloved granny or auntie who could be counted on for homemade baked goods, frequent cousin sleepovers, and a good laugh whenever she tried to do the latest dance moves or recite the latest rap songs. She was also the person who would “get them together” when they were out of line. The older generation regarded Joan as a protector, life coach, and shoulder to cry on who could be counted on to “roll down” on anyone who was harming her family, provide advice about any aspect of your life or career, and tell hard truths when needed. She was an inspiration to her entire family and was the blueprint for how to flawlessly do it all while being a beacon of love and having fun along the way.

Loyal Friend

Joan never met a stranger and there are many who call her friend and sister. Joan attended high school at Hyde Park Academy where she met many of her life-long friends known as “the girlfriends”. Throughout her adult life, she cultivated many more long-term friendships and took pride in being a loyal, loving friend. Whether to support a friend in their time of need, partner with them on a creative idea, or just showing up to be the life of the party, Joan was a constant in the life of her friends and closest confidants. Joan’s welcoming and friendly aura made even distant friends and associates feel connected and loved by her. Trips to the grocery store or leaving any event with Joan required an extra 30 minutes (at minimum) as her hellos and goodbyes to the many that regarded as a friend is something she always made time for. Even if Joan only crossed your path once, chances are you remember that experience fondly. .

Cultural Trailblazer

Joan’s professional achievements and accolades are too many to count. A long time lover of the arts, Joan was a talented dancer, musician, and in her earlier career, a wonderful actress. Joan’s artistic calling came to life in 1977 after attending a community dance class offered by Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago. Joan soon became a member of Muntu and made her premiere performance as Spirit Woman in “Purification Ritual”. Joan became the President/Executive Director of Muntu in 1986 (while also continuing to dance until 1991) and would hold that title until she retired in 2016. Joan’s brilliance, leadership, and vision for the arts helped propel Muntu into one of the country’s premier African dance companies and one of very few able to employ full time artists & administrative staff. Joan was extremely proud of Muntu’s success and impact on the arts community.

Joan’s impact as a cultural trailblazer expands beyond her work with Muntu. Joan was an active board member of the International Association of Blacks in Dance for over a decade and served on the boards of the African American Arts Alliance and Chicago Dance Coalition. She served on numerous policy and review panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council and several State arts agencies around the country.

Joan’s accomplishments have been acknowledged in many ways including, but not limited to:

Awarded an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by her Alma Mater, North Central College in 2009.

Recipient of the Sidney R. Yates Award presented by the Illinois Arts Alliance.

Recipient of the Paul Robeson Award presented by the African American Arts Alliance

. Awarded a fellowship to the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders in the Arts at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Honored by See Chicago Dance with the “Legacy Award” in 2022.

Inducted into the Chicago Black Arts Hall of Fame by the Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago in November 2023.

Memorialized in a mural created by renowned artist Kerry James Marshall as one of 20 women who shaped the city’s vibrant arts and culture landscape. This mural is located outside of the Chicago Cultural Center in downtown Chicago.

Joan will be remembered and revered by all as a creative, witty and fierce woman who would break out in dance anywhere she wanted just because she heard some music and wanted to move. She was confident and never half-stepped; her high expectations of herself and others made all those around her better and rise to the occasion.

Her life and legacy will live on in all of our minds and hearts and as we mourn the loss of her presence in the physical world, we will celebrate her place as our fierce ancestor. Joan is preceded in death by her parents, Edith Arlene & William; her brothers William Lincoln Gray & Leonard Leroy Langford, and sister Donna Denise Gray; and her son, David Gray, Sr. Joan is survived by her daughter: Turiya Gray; her grandchildren: Deirdra Coleman, Dashun Green, Jr., and David Gray, Jr.; her great-grandchildren: Chloe Green and Cannyn Green; her siblings: twin sister, Judith Arlene Waller (Frederick), Michael Cornelius Gray (Cheryl), Debra Ann Gray, Carolyn Denise Bell (Wayne), and Duane Nathaniel Liggins (Millie); and many nieces, nephews, and other loved ones who will all miss her deeply.