On Thursday, we all learned that civil rights and media legend Joe Madison, aka the Black Eagle had passed away after a courageous second battle with pancreatic cancer.
He was 74.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved husband and father, Joe Madison,” wrote The Madison Family in a statement.
Mr. Madison was a fierce fighter and defender of civil rights, equality and humanity. He championed these causes during his life at every point in his career.
Whether it was while working at the NAACP or informing and inspiring audiences at radio stations such as WXYZ-AM in Detroit, WOL in Washington D.C., or, Sirius XM Urban View, where he spent the last 15 years, Joe Madison spoke for those who sometimes lacked a voice or needed to be challenged to take action with one simple message.
“What are you going to do about it?”
Madison’s award-winning radio career spanned over 40 years, during which he educated audiences and set others straight. During his career, he became a Guinness World Record holder by hosting the Longest Radio Marathon of 52 straight hours while raising money for the Smithsonian African American History and Culture Museum. He also partook in hunger strikes to generate awareness for different causes.
While Mr. Madison interviewed politicians such as President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, he also never forgot about the everyday people whom he marched with during grassroots campaigns across the country.
His passing, expectedly, caused a flood of condolences across social media, including posts from media legends Tavis Smiley, Roland Martin and Donnie Simpson.
“We lost a true friend yesterday,” posted Simpson on X/Twitter. “Joe Madison, ‘The Black Eagle,’ was a radio legend and freedom fighter. He was as committed to issues that affected Black America as anyone I’ve ever known.”
Even President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris expressed their condolences on X/Twitter.
Joe Madison was fearless in his stances. He even took on the CIA in 1996 while at WWRC-AM (980) and accused the agency of spreading crack in Black communities across the country in the 1980s.
“This is not a black-white issue. This issue transcends race. This is an American problem,” said Madison at the time. “The impact has been on our taxes. The impact has been on our property and the impact has been on our children.”
The fight spurred politicians to get involved, demonstrating the power of his voice and commitment to righting wrongs.
Joe, a proud son of Dayton, Ohio, continued his fight all the way to the end, and his family asked everyone to do the same.
“Although he is no longer with us, we hope you will join us in answering that call by continuing to be proactive in the fight against injustice,” wrote his family.
Joe Madison is survived by his wife of more than 45 years, Sherry, four adult children, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Our condolences to his entire family, the Sirius XM family and all of those whose lives he impacted.
Rest In Power Black Eagle.
