SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
Stop by and experience the legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois. We’re open on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday | 11 AM–3 PM.
Our Mission
The mission of the W.E.B. Du Bois Center for Freedom and Democracy is to educate the public about the life and legacy of civil rights pioneer W.E.B. Du Bois and the rich African American heritage of the Berkshires.
Located at the former Clinton A.M.E. Zion Church in Great Barrington, where he was born and raised, this vibrant center of Black thought and remembrance constitutes the first museum and living memorial in North America dedicated to Du Bois’ life and legacy.
SAVE THE DATE! FEB 10 - LATE APRIL
The Du Bois Freedom Center is proud to partner with the Scottsboro Boys Museum to present its traveling exhibit at our 309 Main Street office, on view from February 10 through late April.
Opening week will feature a special public program, Reflections on Justice: W.E.B. Du Bois, the Scottsboro Boys, and Legacies of Injustice, at the Mahaiwe Theatre’s Indigo Room. The conversation will explore W.E.B. Du Bois’s and the NAACP’s involvement in the Scottsboro case, the legal strategies of the Black Freedom Struggle, and their lasting relevance today.
The program features Dr. Thomas Reidy, Executive Director of the Scottsboro Boys Museum, in conversation with Dr. Whitney Battle-Baptiste, Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Center at UMass Amherst, moderated by Marcus P. Smith, History and Archival Fellow at the Du Bois Freedom Center.
FREE, Reservations required! CLICK HERE
Virginia Conway, Community Volunteer & Du Bois Legacy Committee Representative
A Life of Faith, Family, and Freedom
An Interview of Virginia Conway by Beth Carlson, DFC Treasuer
“The Du Bois Freedom Center is something we can call our own — a place named for a Black man. Once it is open, when I walk in the door, I know I will feel a sense of welcome. Because he knew us. He understood the soul of Black people.”
— Virginia Conway
Born in Alabama and a longtime Berkshires resident, Virginia Conway has dedicated her life to faith, leadership, and service through Macedonia Baptist Church, Bridge Multicultural, and the Du Bois Freedom Center.
We thank her for her decades of commitment and community leadership that continue to inspire our mission. Read her story →
Explore W. E. B. Du Bois & African American Heritage in Great Barrington
Every summer, discover the legacy of W. E. B. Du Bois and the rich African American heritage of Great Barrington with our immersive “Walking Through History” tours.
Join our guided, in-person tours led by distinguished Du Bois scholars, educators (e.g. Marcus P. Smith, Dr. David Glassberg) and our Interim Executive Director, Dr. John D. Lloyd. These thoughtfully curated walks offer a personal and insightful journey through the neighborhoods, landmarks, and stories that shaped Du Bois’s early life and his enduring impact in Great Barrington.
Whether you’re a longtime scholar or a first-time visitor, each tour offers a powerful connection to our shared history—and a vision for the future.
“The W. E. B. Du Bois Center for Freedom and Democracy presents a singular opportunity to reclaim and extend in Du Bois’ hometown, the Black intellectual, artistic traditions, and social movements to which he dedicated his life’s work.”
—David Levering Lewis, Pulitzer Prize-winning Du Bois Biographer
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