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This Weekend with W.E.B. Du Bois: An Enduring Educational Legacy

A Birthday Festival Weekend, February 22-23, 2020
Posted on: February 20, 2020 - 10:49am
Du Bois Graphic

The Town of Great Barrington and community partners will host a series of events this weekend, Feb. 22-23, to celebrate "W. E. B. Du Bois: An Enduring Educational Legacy." Events take place throughout town, and all are invited.

Schedule:

Feb.1-29 Mason Library hosts Du Bois Center exhibit

Saturday, Feb. 22  First Congregational Church, Great Barrington

  • 10:30 - 12:30 p.m. Du Bois Legacy Tour: Mason Library Talk, W. E. B. Du Bois: An Enduring Educational Legacy with Randy Weinstein, Barbara Dean, and Leah Reed, followed by Great Barrington Du Bois Legacy Walk (Du Bois Center, Family Graveyard Site and Du Bois Boyhood Site)
  • 1:30-4:30 p.m. "The Souls of Black Folk”: Celebrating the Songs, Poems, and Text, drawn from W. E. B. Du Bois,  “Poems and Music” from The Souls of Black Folk, 1903 
  • Community Book Club & Discussion, The Souls of Black Folk with Gwendolyn VanSant, Stephanie Wright, Leah Reed, Barbara Dean and Sara Mugridge with musical accompaniment by Donna Gouger, Bob Paynter with Dr. MaryNell Morgan 

Du Bois at DeskThe McConnell Theater at the Daniel Arts Center, Bard College at Simon’s Rock
Performance Installation of "Between me and the other world" by Zaccho Dance Theater

  • 6-6:45 p.m.  Pre-Show Panel Discussion with Joanna Haigood and MaryNell Morgan, PhD, Frances Jones Sneed, PhD, Whitney Battle Baptiste, PhD and Dennis Powell.  moderated by Gwendolyn VanSant
  • 7-9:30 p.m. "Between me and the other world," an immersive performance installation by Zaccho Dance Theatre, choreographed by Joanna Haigood, exploring W. E. B. Du Bois’ seminal work The Souls of Black Folk.
  • 7:30-10:30 p.m. Community Dialogue & Reflections  curated and hosted by Joanna Haigood with community partners from Jacobs Pillow, Du Bois Legacy Committee and BRIDGE

Sunday, Feb. 23 First Congregational Church, Great Barrington
The W. E. B. Du Bois Legacy Festival Birthday Program

  • 10:30 a.m. “Eyewitness to History” Rev. Sloan Letman IV (guest pastor) with the presiding Rev. Tara Tetzlaff, A Story for All God's Children: "Learning the Truth"
  • 12:00 p.m. First Congregational Church Fellowship with Town of Great Barrington Du Bois Legacy Committee, Macedonia Baptist Church and BRIDGE and Festival guests 
  • 1:30 Welcome Town of Great Barrington Selectboard with Selectboard Member, Ed Abrahams and Legacy Committee Vice Chair, Gwendolyn VanSant 

Town of Great Barrington W. E. B. Du Bois Legacy Committee introductions: Stephanie Wright

  • Prayer & Blessing: Rev. Sloan Letman IV
  • On Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois: Randy Weinstein, Chair of Legacy Committee with Jeffrey Peck, Du Bois family representative
  • Song & Message: Rev. Joallen Forte, Macedonia Baptist Church 
  • 2:00 W. E. B. Du Bois Legacy Lecture Series Presentations
    • “The Enduring Educational Legacy of W. E. B. Du Bois” with Dr. Emily Allen Williams, Du Bois Lecy Committee Member and Lecture Series Curator
    • “W. E. B. Du Bois – “The Atlanta University Years", with Speaker: Dr. Danille Taylor, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Clark Atlanta University
    • “The Social Theory of W. E. B. Du Bois on Race and Slavery in America”, with Dr. Deirdre Foreman, Associate Director, Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF), Ramapo College of New Jersey
    • “Creating the Statue of W. E. B. Du Bois at Clark Atlanta University and Recent Historical Sculptures”, with Professor Ayokunle Odeleye, Professor of Art and Sculptor, Kennesaw State University and Odeleye Sculpture Studios
    • “Double Consciousness and Cultural Creatives: 2020 Vision in the Works of W. E. B. Du Bois and Shirley Graham Du Bois”, with speaker Dr. Chenzira Davis-Kahina, Director, Virgin Islands Caribbean Cultural Center (VICCC), University of the Virgin Islands
    • Panel Discussion and Q & A moderated by Dr. Karl Johnson, Professor of African American Cultural Studies, Ramapo College of New Jersey
    • 4-4:30 p.m. Community Reflections led by Leah Reed & Gwendolyn VanSant

Saturday's programs presented in partnership with Jacobs Pillow, BRIDGE, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Du Bois Center of Great Barrington, First Congregational Church, Macedonia Baptist Church, and NAACP Berkshire County Branch

Sponsors: Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, BRIDGE, Jacob’s Pillow, Berkshire Bank Foundation, UMASS Libraries- Du Bois Center and Greylock Federal Credit Union

Thank you Dinner for Festival Guests at Pleasant & Main for Community Sponsors & Partners at 5:30 (RSVP required. $30/person)