Mary Magdalene Buggs was born on April 9, 1950 in Ruston, Louisiana to Sam and Al Dora Buggs. She was the youngest of seven children. After graduating from
Grambling State University with a degree in social work, she married Willie Black and moved to Louisiana. In 1984, Black began working on what became the Black Family and Child Services of Arizona, which places children in foster and adoptive homes, provides therapy and substance abuse counseling, and hosts after-school programs and services to at-risk youth. Black retired in October 2019 due to illness. She died on March 21, 2020. == Honors and awards ==