In 1916 and again in 1933, W.E.B. Du Bois and Joel Elias Spingarn gathered thinkers and leaders in Amenia, New York at the Troutbeck estate. Later called the Amenia Conferences, the gatherings were not a means to an end. The purpose wasn’t to produce books or treatises. Instead, these meetings of the mind were intentional havens where intellectuals could be inspired by one another through conversation, debate, and proximity to the movers and shakers of the time.
While both Spingarn and Du Bois were both civil rights activists, educators, leaders and scholars, Du Bois’ legacy in the Berkshires is a constant source of inspiration for scholars in the area. This was the case in 2021, when long after his death, Tufts historians Dr. Kendra Taira Field, Dr. Kerri Greenidge, and Pulitzer-Prize-winning author David Levering Lewis (who literally wrote the book on Du Bois) founded the Du Bois Forum, a retreat for artists, writers, and other academics, to uplift each other’s work, connect with DuBois’ legacy, and engage in intellectual and artistic discourse.
“In the beginning, it was very much a labor of love,” said co-founder Kendra Field. The forum was a simple gathering of academics, writers and artists engaging in the tradition of Black intellectualism forged by thinkers like Du Bois. But today, it’s an expansive weekend exploring the footsteps of Du Bois in the Berkshires.
The forum weekend begins Friday, July 18, with the fourth annual Du Bois Forum Roundtable and Celebration at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, Massachusetts. The roundtable runs from 4 to 5 p.m. and will feature Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie Bunch, Thavolia Glymph of Duke University, Brandon Terry of Harvard, Nathan Connolly of Johns Hopkins, and Elizabeth Hinton of Yale, alongside Forum fellows. The program includes author signings and recognition of partner organizations. A performance by Red Clay Dance Company follows at 5:30 p.m., and the evening concludes with a ticketed dinner program from 7 to 9:30 p.m., which includes the forum’s 2025 awards ceremony. Honorees include Bunch, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Diane Patrick, and Embrace Boston Executive Director Imari Paris Jeffries.
On Saturday, July 19, the forum will host a free public event titled “W.E.B. Du Bois and the Black Berkshires,” a historical tour from 12:30 to 3 p.m. in Great Barrington, the luminary’s hometown. Stops include James Weldon Johnson’s writing cabin and the Clinton A.M.E. Zion Church, now home to the Du Bois Freedom Center. The tour concludes at 2 p.m., with the unveiling of a statue of Du Bois outside the Mason Library. The sculpture, by artist Richard Blake, was commissioned by the W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project. Remarks will be delivered by Deval Patrick and forum co-founder David Levering Lewis.
The weekend closes Sunday, July 20, with a panel discussion from 1 to 2 p.m. at Chesterwood in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Titled “W.E.B. Du Bois: Scholar, Artist, and Architect of the Civil Rights Movement,” the panel will include Blake, artist Delano Burrowes, National Sculpture Society Executive Director Gwen Pier, and forum fellows Chad Williams and Frances Jones-Sneed. The event is free and open to the public.
The Du Bois Forum extends beyond its annual gatherings by offering a range of year-round programs that support writers, scholars, and artists. These initiatives include seasonal meetings, writing retreats, and workshops focused on professional development. Through these activities, the forum aims to cultivate a community dedicated to advancing African American history, culture, and scholarship while fostering new voices and collaborative creative work — the way Du Bois would’ve wanted it.
“Du Bois was way ahead of his time,” said Field. “He was always kind of moving with the times, and thinking about what the next challenge is.” For more info, visit duboisforum.com.