Prof. John Bracey Passes Away, University of Massachusetts African-American Studies Pioneer

He was instrumental in founding one of the first Afro-American studies programs in the country at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At UMass, Bracey was instrumental in founding one of the first Afro-American Studies departments in the country as well as a ground-breaking PhD program in the subject.

John Bracey Jr., a professor in the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies and a well-known author, activist, and authority on Black history, has passed away at the age of 81.

He was instrumental in founding one of the first Afro-American studies programs in the country at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

At UMass, Bracey was instrumental in founding one of the first Afro-American Studies departments in the country as well as a ground-breaking PhD program in the subject.

Celebrities including author James Baldwin, who spent time teaching at UMass Amherst, were drawn to the school and Bracey because of their respective reputations, and Betty Shabazz, the activist and Malcolm X’s wife, who received a PhD in education.

The Horace Mann Bond and W.E.B. archives are located at UMass Amherst.

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Bracey was a mainstay of the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies for more than 50 years. Additionally, he co-directed the graduate certificate program in African Diaspora Studies offered by the department.

He played a key role in developing the UMass Black Presence Initiative in recent years, a significant initiative to recognize and respect the historical achievements of Black academics, students, staff, and alumni at UMass Amherst by constructing a permanent archive.

Numerous former and current Black students and community members at UMass Amherst participated in oral history interviews done by Bracey and his students.

It provides as a tangible example of the influence they have had over their nearly 160-year career.

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