Curtis Graves, Famed Civil Rights Activist and Father of 'RHOP' Star Gizelle Bryant, Dead at 84

'The Real Housewives of Potomac' star announced her father's death on Instagram Friday

Gizelle Bryant is mourning the loss of her father Curtis Graves.

The Real Housewives of Potomac star announced on Friday that Graves, a famed civil rights activist, had died. He was 84.

In sharing the news on Instagram, Bryant posted a photo of the pair alongside her three daughters. She accompanied the image with a brief yet loving message.

"Thank you for being the best Dad that a little girl could ever want or need," wrote Bryant, 52. "I will miss you everyday of my life ❤️"

No cause of death has been revealed at this time.

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Graves had an esteemed political career. He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1967 to 1973, representing the Democratic Party. He was one of three Black members elected in 1966, one of the first since 1896.

Following his time working within the Texas House of Representatives, Graves held a 30-year career at the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA). He initially worked in NASA's Academic Affairs Division before eventually becoming its Director for Civil Affairs.

Additionally, amid the Civil Rights Movement, Graves — a graduate of Texas Southern University and Princeton University — had the opportunity to work alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"Proud daughter!" Bryant once said of her father's work with King.

Related: Dan Rather on How Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 'Changed Me as a Person and as a Professional' (Exclusive)

Congress recognized Graves for his "distinguished public service career" in July 2015.

"On behalf of the people of Maryland's Eighth Congressional District, and in anticipation of his seventy-seventh birthday on August 26, 2015, I would like to thank Curtis M. Graves for his lifelong career of public service and for his many contributions to our nation," U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, who was a Maryland Congressman at the time, previously said. "I wish him and his family all the best in the years to come."

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Bryant was one of three children Graves shared with his ex-wife, Joanne Graves. He later married Kay Bryant.

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