First published January 27, 2018
Last Thursday, Julius Lester, a civil rights activist and professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, died of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, surrounded by his daughter Lian Amaris, his son Malcolm, and other family members. The comprehensive obituary by Margalit Fox, appearing in The New York Times on Sunday, provides a review of his many accomplishments. His contribution to literature can be found in the obituary by Shannon Maughan in the trade publication, Publishers Weekly.
Julius, whom I knew since the 1960s and considered a friend, was not only a civil rights activist but a Renaissance man. In various phases of his life he was a professor, a photographer, a folk singer, and an essayist and novelist. In mid-life he converted to Judaism and served as a cantor in his Massachusetts synagogue, and later as a lay leader in his Vermont congregation.
No comments:
Post a Comment