Janet Maclachlan, a prominent African-American actress of the 1960s and 70s best known for portraying a kindly schoolteacher in Martin Ritt's "Sounder," died January 11. Highly respected for both her understated acting style and her dedication to bringing credible black female characters to the screen, Maclachlan's careers also included Jules Dassin's controversial black-power drama "Up Tight" (1968) as well as an estimated 75 appearances on TV series.

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