wEB DU BOIS FESTIVAL - BRIDGE AS PROUD CO-SPONSOR AND CO-HOST FOR THE 8TH ANNUAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb 9, 2026
Town of Great Barrington Announces the 9th Annual W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Festival & Du Bois Legacy Day Observance Seeking Justice through Truth-telling: Du Bois, Art & Historical Memory Great Barrington, Mass. (Feb. 9, 2026)--The Town of Great Barrington W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee announces the Ninth Annual W.E.B. Legacy Festival in honor of the birthday of native son Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois. 


This year, the W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee and community partners will be welcoming participants to a series of engaging talks and performances as we collectively reflect on the Festival theme, “Seeking Justice through Truth-telling: Du Bois, Art & Historical Memory.”
In the lead-up to Du Bois’s birthday weekend, cultural partners will be hosting several special events. The Du Bois Freedom Center will host a series of public programs in observance of Du Bois’s birthday, beginning with an open house and exhibit unveiling in collaboration with the Scottsboro Boys Museum, followed by a traveling exhibit showcase with UMass Amherst. The week will also include Reflections on Justice: W.E.B. Du Bois, the Scottsboro Boys, and Legacies of Injustice, a public conversation at the Mahaiwe Theater’s Indigo Room, and a screening of Alabama Solution at the Triplex Cinema. On Friday, February 13, Jacob’s Pillow will host a Community Shout in Pittsfield, an open participatory gathering rooted in African and African diasporic song, rhythm and storytelling led by artists Reggie Wilson and Michel Kouakou of Reggie Wilson/Fist and Heel Performance Group. Both events are free with registration, and open to all.

Festival weekend events include the theatrical presentation of Rev. Dr. Chad Lawson Cooper’s “W.E.B. Du Bois – An American Hero,” on Saturday, February 21, at the Monument Mountain Regional High School auditorium at 5:00pm. Great-grandson of W.E.B. Du Bois, Jeffrey Peck, returns to Great Barrington to star in the performance which brings Dr. Du Bois into conversation with his first wife, Nina Gomez and his good friend, Albert Einstein. The program will be followed by a community award ceremony recognizing local leaders whose work reflects Du Bois’ values. Tickets at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/web-du-bois-an-american-hero-tickets-1981447450664 

On Sunday, February 22nd, Macedonia Baptist Church will hold its annual service in celebration of the legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois with special guest Noel Staples-Freeman & Uprising Dance Theater bringing the gifts of African dance and drumming to congregants and Festival participants. All are welcome.

W.E.B. Du Bois Day, a town holiday, will be observed Monday, Feb. 23, with a full day of public programming. Events will include a guided Du Bois site tour, a community read of one of Du Bois’ centennial works, live performances by guest artists, and an afternoon keynote and musical program. Participants are invited to kick off the day with a Legacy Tour coordinated by BRIDGE at 10:00am (registration required at [email protected]) with Festival presenters. At noon, we will convene at the Mason Library for an open reading and discussion of Dr. Du Bois’s 1926 essay Criteria for Black Art, followed by an African dance and drumming experience led by Sister Noel Staples-Freeman & Uprising Dance Theater artists Jamemurrell Stanley, Brandon Guillermo and Harolyn Bowden. Reception to follow. Town Hall is open to view its year round Du Bois exhibit between Festival events.

At 3:00pm, the Legacy Festival continues at the Mahaiwe’s Indigo Room where vocalists Wanda Houston, a recent recipient of the Du Bois Award from the Berkshire County NAACP, and Dr. MaryNell Morgan-Brown, PhD. will share their musical interpretation of the “Sorrow Songs” of Dr. Du Bois’s Souls of Black Folk. After a brief intermission, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Townsend Gilkes will give the keynote address. Dr. Townsend Gilkes is the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Professor of Sociology and African American Studies Emerita at Colby College, and a Hutchins Fellow at the W.E.B. Du Bois Research Institute at Harvard University. Her scholarly interests include African American women, religion, social change, and the legacy of W. E. B. Du Bois in the fields of sociology, African American studies, and religious studies. Her research, teaching, and writing have specifically focused on the role of African American women in generating social change. After the keynote, there will be a moderated question-and-answer session with Legacy Committee member Dr. Alexandria Russell. 
The Festival ends with a delicious dinner by Dre’s Global Kitchen  in African Diasporic traditions at Solidarity House at 965 Main St. at 6-7pm.

This year’s Festival takes place immediately following school vacation week, and the Legacy Committee hopes to actively engage local and regional schools, educators, and students through daytime programming and educational opportunities connected to Du Bois’s legacy. The Town encourages residents, educators, students, and visitors to participate in this meaningful celebration of Great Barrington’s history and its continuing legacy.
The Great Barrington Du Bois Legacy Committee provides special thanks to the sponsors & hosts: Mass Cultural Council; BRIDGE and their partners; WEB Du Bois Legacy Foundation; Du Bois Freedom Center; and Jacob's Pillow. 

For more information, please visit duboislegacy.com & the Festival Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/share/163EtMxoEv/ 

Detailed information and registration for cultural partner events can be found here: https://mahaiwe.org/event/du-bois-freedom-center-presents-reflections-on-justice-w-e-b-du-bois-the-scottsboro-boys-and-legacies-of-injustice/ 
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https://www.jacobspillow.org/whats-on/events/ring-shout-with-reggie-wilsonfist-and-heel-performance-group/
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/web-du-bois-an-american-hero-tickets-1981447450664


FOR MORE INFORMATION: Randy Weinstein, [email protected],
Chair, Town Of Great Barrington W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee mailto:[email protected] 
Gwendolyn VanSant, [email protected],
Vice Chair, Town Of Great Barrington W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee mailto: [email protected] Phone: 318-528-1011
https://www.facebook.com/share/163EtMxoEv/ 

#duboislegacy #greatbarrington #duboisfestival #webdubois #duboislegacygb

ABOUT THE GREAT BARRINGTON W.E.B. DU BOIS LEGACY COMMITTEE Since its convening by the Town of Great Barrington Selectboard in 2018, the W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee has upheld the charge to preserve and promote Great Barrington native W.E.B. Du Bois's legacy as a scholar and activist for freedom, civil rights, progressive education, economic justice, and racial equality. The committee does this through town-sponsored events such as the annual W.E.B. Du Bois Festival; collaboration with partner organizations uplifting the Du Bois legacy; and community engagement via guest speakers, artists, and dialogue.
Presenting partners: Jacob’s Pillow, Du Bois Freedom Center, Du Bois Legacy Foundation Sponsors: Town of Great Barrington W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee, Massachusetts Cultural Council, BRIDGE with Barr Foundation