Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ) speaks at a press conference on June 30, 2021, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Kevin Dietsch / Getty
UPDATED: 2:00 p.m. ET, April 24
While death is an inevitable part of life, that fact doesn’t make it any easier when it is reported that someone has died.
U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., the Congressman from New Jersey who represented the Garden State on Capitol Hill for a dozen years, has died. He was 65.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced the death of Payne on Wednesday via a social media post.
Tammy and I are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of our friend, and a steadfast champion for the people of New Jersey, Congressman Donald Payne, Jr.
Our heartfelt prayers are with his family during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/TaqMIzAWmo
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 24, 2024
While no cause of death was immediately announced, Payne was hospitalized earlier this month following what NBC News reported as a cardiac episode related to the Congressmans diabetes.
Just last week, Paynes Congressional office said he was in stable condition while remaining hospitalized and reportedly unconscious.
Payne successes his namesake father Donald Payne Sr. New Jerseys first Black member of Congress as a lawmaker on Capitol Hill.
Donald Payne Sr. died in 2012 while undergoing treatment for colon cancer.
The father and son U.S. legislators, both Democrats, collectively represented New Jerseys 10th congressional district for 24 years.
Payne Jr. was elected to Congress in 2012.
Prior to working on Capitol Hill, Payne was a city councilman in Newark, a role in which his father also served in the 1980s.
Payne found his niche as a Congressman in part by focusing on creating jobs and growing the economy, two things he touched on during a 2015 Congressional Black Caucus speech emphasizing the need for Black entrepreneurship.
“Research shows that African Americans start businesses with less capital than do white Americans and that these gaps persist over time. Businesses with less capital are less likely to succeed,” Payne said. “The lack of access to capital is a huge barrier for African-Americans looking to start or expand their own businesses.”
As a result of this, he continued, African American small businesses “tend to be smaller in size and scale and they often don’t have the capacity to succeed.”
Payne added: “It is essential that African-Americans have the resources and the capital they need for their businesses to be successful” because their success drives U.S. job creation, economic growth and global competitiveness.
MORE: Rest In Power: Notable Black People Who Died In 2023
Scroll down to keep reading below and to learn more about the other notable Black people who have died this year, in no particular order.
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