When Randy Weinstein came to live in Great Barrington at the age of 18, he remembered Du Bois’ name being “surrounded by controversy, [and] disparaging [comments],” at the time, something for which Weinstein had zero tolerance.
The sermon by Rev. Sloan Letman IV of the Congregational Church built on the theme of the service. Sloan wove modern motifs, politics and current events into the complex fabric of the struggle for human rights and justice.
The original 1969 homesite dedication was deemed so controversial, in part because of Du Bois' embrace of communism late in his life, that no town officials attended the event.
Randy Weinstein and Gwendolyn VanSant of the W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee appeared before the board on Monday to ask town officials to consider recognizing the second Monday of October, the day on which Columbus Day is traditionally observed, as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
The town-sponsored committee holds events throughout the year to commemorate the work of Du Bois, including a W.E.B. Du Bois Day celebration; the annual Du Bois Festival during January and February, and classes, seminars and speakers.
VanSant works at the intersection of diversity leadership, equity and inclusion, and strategic planning. She has founded several initiatives based in the principles of equity and justice, the inherent dignity and worth of individuals, and our interconnected web of humanity.
The talk is the first sponsored by the W. E. B. Du Bois Legacy Committee as well as the first in a series of lectures by UMass visiting scholars, co-sponsored by the town of Great Barrington and UMass.
In an incident that garnered much publicity, the Berkshire Hills Regional School Committee in 2004 declined to name after Du Bois one of the two new regional schools it had just built.
Inspired by the exclusion of Du Bois from the region’s cultural history, 'Beyond the Veil' examines racism in the higher echelons of society and ponders what would happen if the racial veil were lifted and two iconoclasts could see each other clearly.
According to the selectmen, the committee's charge will be to "oversee several town-sponsored events and programs honoring Du Bois," including: the Du Bois Day Celebration; the annual Du Bois Festival (from Martin Luther King Day through Feb. 23); banner installations; collaboration with UMass Amherst and local educational institutions and arts, historical and community organizations; and more.
