Du Bois life, legacy come full circle

Written Jan 21, 2006 by Randy Weinstein in The Berkshire Eagle

Thursday, January 26 To the Editor of THE EAGLE: In a most profound way, the Great Barrington Selectmen have made history by authorizing history to be made. By a majority vote they have mandated road signage to commemorate the “Birthplace of W.E.B. Du Bois.” The signs are artfully designed (forest green with white lettering, bearing the town seal) and prominently placed at the various entrances to Great Barrington.

Let there be no mistaking the fact that from the vantage point of the 21st century, Du Bois’ politics, at times, appears naive, even wrongheaded. Yet politics aside, his contribution to the 20th century’s civil rights movement was righteous, global and indelible. From Ghana, where he spent his last days, to Great Barrington, where he was born, raised, educated, and, now, officially acknowledged for the first time, Du Bois’ life and legacy have come full circle. And for this, in great part, we must credit our present town fathers.