Historic moment as Du Bois Legacy Committee kicks off in Great Barrington
He was hailed as an anchor of intellect and free thought amid a sea of racial upheaval and red-baiting. The U.S. government didn’t like him when he was alive. And neither did town officials of yesteryear, after he had died. But now W.E.B. Du Bois, Great Barrington-born and raised, has his very own committee at […]
Great Barrington Selectmen appoint Du Bois legacy panel
W.E.B. Du Bois, perhaps Great Barrington’s most famous resident, will have his legacy in the town perpetuated thanks to a newly formed committee that will meet regularly and oversee town events and programs honoring the legendary scholar and African-American civil rights activist. Last night in Town Hall, the selectboard appointed a roster of members who […]
Great Barrington creates Legacy Committee to honor W.E.B. Du Bois
The W.E.B. Du Bois honors keep coming, after decades of what scholars, local activists and some town officials have said was a pernicious lack of honors for the towering native son. To robust applause, the town unanimously agreed Monday to create a permanent town committee to promote and preserve the legacy of Du Bois, the […]
Du Bois’ environmental legacy celebrated at River Walk, by his ‘golden river’
Selectman Ed Abrahams (center) receives the framed prints of Du Bois’ “Housatonic River” speech on behalf of Great Barrington given by Carol Connare (left) of UMass Amherst, and Randy Weinstein (right), director of the WEB Du Bois Center in Great Barrington. Photo: Victor Feldman. SaveSave SaveSave
Local Veterans Speak Against W.E.B. Du Bois Statue Plans
At a time when monuments connected to slavery and segregation are being challenged across the country, an effort in the Berkshires to put up a new statue for civil rights icon W.E.B. Du Bois is facing a controversy of its own. “We’re taking statues down all over the country for one reason or another. Whether […]
Name school after Du Bois? Debate reignites, but it’s less heated
The bitter debate over whether to name a school in honor of Great Barrington native and civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois has been reignited 14 years later — but this time, the situation isn’t as fiery. The success of the W.E.B. Du Bois 150th birthday celebration has fans and scholars of the newly created […]
Library trustees endorse Du Bois statue, but see trouble ahead
Plans to continue the celebration of the life of Great Barrington’s most famous native son on the year of the 150th anniversary of his birth are proceeding apace. Not only are the supporters of the legacy of scholar and civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois trying to name one of the local public schools after […]
