Honoring W.E.B. Du Bois

Du Bois was recently honored for his numerous contributions throughout his life. Du Bois was born and raised in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Due to the controversy surrounding Du Bois' later years in life, citizens of Great Barrington have been reluctant to erect monuments in memory of Du Bois. Until recently, the only display honoring Du Bois' contributions was a park that was dedicated shortly after his death. Not surprisingly, most of the uproar surrounding the proposed displays honoring Du Bois were initiated by the older population of Great Barrington. Inevitably, population shifts occur, and an older group of citizens is replaced with a younger, more open-minded generation. With that, as of the last decade, the citizens of Great Barrington have honored Du Bois by: erecting multiple monuments, painting several murals, posting signs at the entrances of their town alerting passer-by's of his birthplace, and have built the official Du Bois center. As quoted from a citizen of Great Barrington. "He's everywhere in Great Barrington, I'm kind of comfortable where things are now. The resistance is not there anymore." Great Barrington will be celebrating its 250th birthday soon, so citizens there are in the process of putting the final touches on items honoring Du Bois. The painting above is a mural on the side of a building in Great Barrington depicting the life and achievements of Du Bois. Next to the tree within the painting is a quote from a Reverend that states, "Du Bois' legacy is beneficial to all those who seek freedom and justice."