Rest in power: Fernando, staunch antiracist fighter

Fernando Braga was born on August 26, 1982. As a child, he moved with his mother from Brazil to the Bronx. He went to Brooklyn Technical High School where he first became politically active in the fight against racism and mistreatment of students. Fernando’s first antiracist struggle came in helping organize his fellow students who wanted to re-create a “Media” major at Brooklyn Tech. High School. When the class first told their teacher what they wanted in the major, the teacher told them that they needed the students to work together with him to create this Media major. Fernando was a leader in not just figuring out what to do but in actually doing the work which also motivated the other students.
At Brooklyn Tech Fernando met Progressive Labor Party (PLP). Fernando said he had always known that we needed an antiracist, antisexist, completely egalitarian society and started organizing for PLP at Brooklyn Tech.
Antiracist student leader
In 1999 a Black 23-year-old student worker, Amadou Diallo, was murdered by the NYPD. He was shot 41 times by cops in front of his apartment while reaching for his wallet. Students from high schools around the city walked out and joined the many protests demanding justice. Fernando was one of the leaders of a large group that met after school and discussed fighting against racism, imperialist war and for true equality.
 The group at Brooklyn Tech along with a similar group from Clara Barton High School decided to organize a demonstration. Fernando and two others presented a proposal to a “progressive” sanctioned school club to have a walk-out. The advisor was afraid of a walk-out. The students decided to do it anyway. After they handed out a flyer, there was push-back and threats from the administration. Fernando and other students came up with the idea of stickers. The school is six stories high. Most students couldn’t take the elevators and the stairwells were plastered with the walk-out stickers.
On the day of the demonstration well over 2500 students walked out. Classes were empty. A massive group from Brooklyn Tech joined students from Clara Barton at Fulton Square in downtown Brooklyn. After a student-led rally in the square, hundreds crossed the Brooklyn Bridge to go into Manhattan. Of course, a militant, multiracial demonstration didn't make the news except in CHALLENGE.
Fighting the bosses on the battlefield
While in high school, Fernando developed a passion for films and screenwriting. He pursued this love as a film major at Hunter College. While at Hunter, Fernando, a member of the National Guard, was deployed to Iraq. While there he started writing a movie called Broken Soldier. In Iraq Fernando became a leader in his unit and looked out for the interests of his fellow soldiers and workers from Iraq as well.
While out on a convoy his unit came upon a truck stopped in the road with a group of Iraqis standing beside it. His Platoon Sergeant tried to force the Iraqis to move the truck. When they didn’t he told the platoon to get ready to fire on them. Fernando, who spoke no Arabic, made eye contact with one of the Iraqis who signaled him that the truck was broken and couldn’t be moved. Fernando understood the message and was able to stop the Sergeant from opening fire. The unit moved on and left the Iraqi workers to fix their truck.
Upon returning from Iraq Fernando became active in Iraq Veterans Against the War and was instrumental in creating the Winter Soldier II hearings. This conference, modeled after the anti-Vietnam War conference from the 70’s, included testimony about U.S. atrocities in Iraq from soldiers and Iraqis as well.
A working-class champion until the end
Fernando was also a NYC Transit worker and proud member of the Transit  Workers Union (TWU). He distributed CHALLENGE newspapers to his friends on the job and talked to them about fighting for communism. He was involved in several job actions when his safety and the safety of his coworkers were threatened. He also took pride in his work and enjoyed playing poker and dominos with his coworkers.
In 2013 Fernando went to Vassar College as part of the first group of veterans to attend Vassar since the end of WWII. He became a popular student who helped act as a bridge between the veterans and traditional Vassar students. On campus Fernando worked hard at his studies, learning Chinese and earning his Bachelor’s degree. He became a leader on campus who introduced people to communist ideas and participated in fights against racism.
On June 10 around 100 people gathered in Brooklyn to remember Fernando and to celebrate his life and his commitment to the working class. Many of those who knew him from high school, college, the military, and loved ones, including his young daughter, shared their memories. He will be missed.