John Bracey Jr.

John Bracey, Jr. (July 17, 1941 – February 5, 2023) was an African-American scholar, historian, and activist who significantly contributed to the study of African-American history and culture.

Early life

John Bracey, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1941. He was raised in Washington D.C in the 1950s, during the period of the Jim Crow laws. Bracey's mother, Helen, taught at Howard University's School of Education. During his childhood, Bracey participated in Negro History Week celebrations.

Education While in Washington, D.C., Bracey began his studies at Howard University. He moved back to Chicago and studied at Roosevelt University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1964. He continued with graduate studies at Roosevelt University and Northwestern University.

Civil rights work While Bracey was a student in the 1960s, he was involved in civil rights activities such as sit-ins and marches to protest racial segregation. During 1961–1971 in Chicago, he was heavily involved with civil rights movements, Black Liberation, and Peace movements. Bracey also wrote the introductions to Muhammad Ahmad's We Will Return in the Whirlwind: Black Radical Organizations 1960–1975 and the 2006 edition of Facing Reality by C. L. R. James and Grace C. Lee.

Bracey supported student organizations, initiatives, and contributed greatly to cultural and educational life at UMass. His wide interests included music, particularly jazz. In addition to his scholarly works, he penned an award-winning essay on John Coltrane.

Works

Books African American Mosaic: A Documentary History from the Slave Trade to the Twenty-First Century (two volumes) SOS - Calling All Black People: a Black Arts Movement Reader Blacks in the Abolitionist movement The World of W.E.B. Du Bois The Rise of the Ghetto Truth and Revolution Strangers the Neighbors African American Women and the Vote, 1837–1965 A White Scholar and the Black Community 1945–1965