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The Office of Equity and Inclusion has announced that the Chancellor’s Leadership Awards have been renamed in honor of late Professor John H. Bracey Jr.

Nominations are now being accepted until Dec. 15 for the Professor John H. Bracey Jr. Leadership Awards, which will be presented to three outstanding members of the UMass Amherst community at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Brunch on Jan. 20, 2026.

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The awards honor the lasting legacy and impact of an innovative scholar, mentor, community member and activist who was a fixture of the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American studies for more than half a century. The awards are crafted with the intention to recognize contributions by university students, staff and faculty who, like Bracey, foster a more equitable and inclusive campus community.

The three award winners will each receive a $1,500 prize and plaque of recognition.

The Professor John H. Bracey Jr. Emerging Student Leader Award is open to any current full-time student, graduate or undergraduate, at UMass Amherst who has a proven record of leading initiatives that facilitate change to improve the experiences of marginalized and underrepresented groups.

The Professor John H. Bracey Jr. Emerging Leader Award is open to any current full-time postdoc, faculty or staff member with less than five years of service at UMass Amherst who has a proven record of leading initiatives that facilitate change to improve the experiences of marginalized and underrepresented groups.

The Professor John H. Bracey Jr. Transformational Leadership Award is open to any full-time faculty, staff member or administrator who has demonstrated a commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion on campus over a sustained period of time during their tenure.

More information about the awards and nomination process can be found on the OEI site.

More about the legacy of Bracey can be found in a remembrance of the professor posted by the College of Humanities and Fine Arts in February 2023.