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John Bracey, UMass Amherst professor, civil rights activist, dies at 81

John Bracey, one of the longest serving professors at UMass Amherst, has died. The university issued a statement saying Bracey died over the weekend at age 81.

A civil rights activist and preeminent scholar of Black history and the Black Arts Movement, Bracey arrived in Amherst in 1972. He was one of the seven original members of the school's newly established Afro-American Studies Department.

“John Bracey was one of the most beautiful minds, brilliant intellect and serious lover of freedom that you'd ever want to know,” said Amilcar Shabazz, a current professor and former chair of the department.

Shabazz said Bracey had varied intellectual interests and was a critical thinker.

"He had a wish, an ardent desire to see the world be a more just place, a freer place, a kinder place,” he said.

Funeral services for Bracey are pending, and UMass said tributes are being planned.

Kari Njiiri is a senior reporter and longtime host and producer of "Jazz Safari," a musical journey through the jazz world and beyond, broadcast Saturday nights on NEPM Radio. He's also the local host of NPR’s "All Things Considered."

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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