Du Bois Freedom Center Resident Historian Marcus Smith Honored with the 2026 Mars History Tellers Award
Mars and AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate, Honor Marcus Smith as the 2026 History Tellers Award Winner.
“Marcus and his work inspired everyone on the selection committee.”
Marcus Smith, DFC’s Resident Historian who puts the “story” in History!
The History Tellers Award
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, the History Tellers Award shines a spotlight on the educators, interpreters, preservationists, guides, and storytellers who keep our nation’s history alive. Applications were reviewed by a selection committee of museum and history experts, and Marcus is the first-ever recipient of this national recognition.
Upon receiving this award, Marcus said:
“I want to thank Mars and American Heritage Chocolate for this very special honor as well as for their immense respect for history, education and preservation.
My passion for history comes from my Grandparents who made sure we always knew and respected the stories and history of our family.
History matters. We use the past to inform the present and to envision our future.
I’m incredibly honored to be receiving the History Tellers Award especially at this time in our nation’s history. America’s 250th anniversary is not just about looking back, it’s about understanding how those stories continue to shape who we are today. This award shines a spotlight on those of us working every day to keep history alive.”
In speaking of the choice of Marcus as this year’s recipient, William Clements, Vice President Sponsorships/Premium Brands/Properties Mars, Inc. shared “History is preserved in more than just books and archives. It is kept alive by passionate historians, interpreters, docents and community advocates who research, protect and share the stories that shape our understanding of America. Marcus Smith embodies what it means to be a History Teller and we couldn’t be more excited to honor him as our 2026 winner.”
The Du Bois Freedom Center is so very proud of this honor for Marcus. We know he is the one who puts the “story” in history!
“At the Du Bois Freedom Center, education and inspiring the next generation to know and share history is at the heart of all we do”, said Dr.John D. Lloyd, Interim Executive Director.
“We have always recognized Marcus’ wonderful talent to connect history through storytelling for all our visitors, of every generation. The visitors and students who engage with Marcus leave inspired by his tours and the important stories he shares. We could not be more proud of Marcus and this well-deserved honor and we thank Mars for their commitment to ensuring all our history is told, shared and remembered. We invite folks to visit us to learn, reflect and be inspired.”
Meet Marcus
Marcus P. Smith is an historic preservationist, public historian, and Ph.D. candidate in W.E.B. Du Bois Afro-American Studies and Public History Graduate Certificate Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His work centers on preserving and interpreting historically African-American communities and heritage sites through community-driven approaches.
At the Du Bois Freedom Center, Marcus has led programming and interpretation initiatives since 2023. He also served as a docent at the W. E. B. Du Bois National Historic Site and Clinton A.M.E. Zion Church. In 2024, he was named a Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellow and a Graduate Research Fellow at the W. E. B. Du Bois Center at UMass Amherst, where he studies Du Bois’s role as a public historian.
Marcus is the founder of the Black Grassroots Heritage Preservation Network, a national digital storytelling initiative thathighlights Black-led preservation efforts across the United States through oral history, multimedia storytelling, and an interactive map and database documenting more than 400 grassroots heritage projects. Through this work, he helps connect, document, and amplify community-based preservation initiatives—including organizations such as the Du Bois Freedom Center—while increasing their visibility to national audiences.
His scholarship and public history work have been recognized by leading organizations including the National Council on Public History and the the National Council for Black Studies
Watch Marcus at Work
Take a Walk with DFC and Marcus
Join Marcus and the DFC Team of interpretive historians for a Summer Walking Tour and Discover the Stories and History that Connect Us All!
Open to Visitors, K-12 students, educators, scholars of Du Bois, and local residents alike.
Come discover the stories, places, and people that shaped Du Bois and the Berkshires.
Dates: May 30 · June 13 · June 27 · July 11 · July 25 · August 8 · August 22 · September 5 · September 19
Time: 1PM - 2:30 PM
Pricing: $25 (General Adult) · $15 (Student and Senior Adults +65) · FREE Children Under 10
Join Marcus at These Upcoming Events
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We Hold These Truths: July 4th at Norman Rockwell Museum
July 4th, 2026
Norman Rockwell Museum
10 am -4pm
In collaboration with W. E. B. Du Bois Freedom Center, Norman Rockwell Museum will celebrate American independence and democracy with a special day of programming. Listen to a public recitation of the Declaration of Independence read by Berkshire County community residents and civic leaders. Reading will be introduced by Roberta McCulloch-Dews, Vice Chair, Norman Rockwell Board of Trustees and Marcus P. Smith, Du Bois Freedom Center, History and Interpretive Fellow.
Enjoy live music by performers Wanda Houston and Rob Putnam and folk singer Doug Mishkin.
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James Van de Zeer Lenox to Harlem: The Life and Art of James Van Der Zee
July 8, 2026
5-7pm
The Mount
This conversation will be introduced by Marcus P. Smith, historian and curator of the W.E.B. Du Bois Freedom Center and features an illuminating conversation between Donna Van Der Zee and Jeff L. Rosenheim, the Joyce Frank Menschel Curator in Charge of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Photographs, exploring the extraordinary life, work, and enduring legacy of James Van Der Zee, one of the most important photographers of the 20th century.
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"Enslavement and Freedom: Elizabeth Freeman and the American Revolution"
July 15, 2026
5:30pm
The Mount
A panel desicussion exploring the life and legacy of Elizabeth Freeman, the first woman to win her freedom in a court of law. In 1781 In the landmark case Brom & Bett v. Ashley, she argued that the Constitution's declaration that "all men are born free and equal" applied to her.
Join Du Bois Freedom center Resident Historian Marcus Smith, The Ashley House and the Massachusetts Women’s History Center for a panel discussion.