Renowned dancer and choreographer Judith Jamison died Saturday after a brief illness, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater announced. She was 81.

There are few images more indelible in the history of American dance: Judith Jamison, regal and passionate in white leotard and long ruffled skirt, punching the air in “Cry” — Alvin Ailey’s piercing solo about Black womanhood.

When I think of Ms. Judith Jamison, I am reminded of far more than her extraordinary contributions to the world of dance. To the public, she was an ic