Gregory Allen Howard, award-winning screenwriter of “Remember the Titans” and “Ali” who was also a prolific playwright, producer, author and public speaker, has died, according to his reps. He was 70.
Howard died Friday at his home in Miami after a brief illness, according to a statement from publicist Jeff Sanderson.
Howard was the first Black screenwriter to write a drama that passed $100 million at the box office when “Titans” crossed that milestone in 2000. He won the NAACP Image Award twice, the prestigious Christopher Award, the Howard University Award for artistic excellence and the Heartland Film Festival Award for screenwriting excellence.
He was born in Norfolk, Virginia, the son of a preschool teacher and the stepson of a Navy officer. His family relocated several times before settling down in Vallejo, California.
Howard graduated from Princeton and began writing in his specialty: true stories with a historical bent. He came across the story of the 1971 TC Williams High School football team, the Titans, and became interested in its integration theme.
Howard wrote dozens of creative works for stage and screen, produced HBO limited series like “The Harlem Renaissance” and most recently wrote civil rights project “Power to the People” for Paramount Pictures and producer Ben Affleck. He was also a busy essayist, and was a longtime contributor to The Huffington Post.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Camille Howard, and his brother, Ricardo Henley.
