Richards estaba trabajando en su estudio, en el piso 92 del World Trade Center, la noche del 10 de septiembre de 2001, y seguía allí a la mañana siguiente cuando cayeron los edificios. No sobrevivió al ataque del 11 de septiembre. La última obra en la que se sabe que estaba trabajando era una escultura que representaba a un aviador montado en un meteorito en llamas, cayendo hacia la Tierra.
Michael Rolando Richards (August 2, 1963 – September 11, 2001) was an African-American artist and sculptor of Jamaican and Costa Rican ancestry who was killed during the September 11 attacks while in his art studio on the 92nd floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower. He explored his African-American history and identity through sculpture, conceptual art, and installation pieces. Influenced by the Black Arts Movement of the 1970s, Richards delved into African-American history and folklore for images that would expose the contradictions of American society. Richards worked primarily in bronze.
