The Sacred Journeying of Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois: From Native Son to Global Intellectual
FREE
The Mahaiwe joins the Town of Great Barrington to present this year’s W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Festival remotely for participants to view over the course of three evenings. Segments will stream on this page at 5:30pm each evening.
The first program will premiere below on Monday, February 21 at 5:30pm. Once it’s showtime, use the play button (►) in the center of the video player to begin.
The Festival will open with remarks from town representatives and Legacy Committee members, as well as community leaders Dr. Kendra Fields of the Clinton Church Restoration, Dennis Powell of the Berkshire NAACP and Gwendolyn VanSant of BRIDGE. The Festival keynote address will be given by Dr. George T. French, Jr., president of Clark Atlanta University, an intellectual and spiritual home to W.E.B. Du Bois early in his career, which nourished his groundbreaking advancement of the field of Sociology.
The second program will premiere below on Tuesday, February 22 at 5:30pm. Once it’s showtime, use the play button (►) in the center of the video player to begin.
The second program will focus on community and youth voices. Performances by Wanda Houston and Dr. Mary Nell Morgan will be highlighted alongside singing and reflections by Legacy Committee member Leah Reed. Delano Burrowes, a New York-based artist with deep Berkshire roots, will speak to local history, and youth from area schools and universities will share their thoughts about Dr. Du Bois’s impact and legacy.
The third program will premiere below on Wednesday, February 23 at 5:30pm. Once it’s showtime, use the play button (►) in the center of the video player to begin.
Town Manager Mark Pruhenski and Select Board member Leigh Davis will join Du Bois descendants to open this evening’s observance of W.E.B. Du Bois Day and the birthday of Dr. Du Bois. The annual Du Bois Legacy Award will be presented by the Committee. Finally, a panel curated by Committee member Dr. Emily Williams will invite panelists Dr. Barbara H. Combs (Clark Atlanta University), Dr. Melvin Rahming (Morehouse College), and Dr. Alix Pierre (Spelman College) to participate in a lively dialogue about Du Bois’s Spiritual Journeying.