GREAT BARRINGTON — Marcus Smith turned the key to the aging and deconsecrated Clinton A.M.E. Zion Church. Once the center of Great Barrington’s Black community — and an early influence on Berkshire native W.E.B. Du Bois — today it sits in disrepair, its front doors boarded shut. He pushed on the door, fighting to keep his balance on the wet, wooden stoop. The door would not budge. But Smith unlocked another kind of history, tracing the lives and legacy of Great Barrington's Black community. Read More

GREAT BARRINGTON, MA — The Du Bois Freedom Center (DFC) is proud to announce that Mars and AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate, have honored our Resident Historian, Marcus P. Smith with their 2026 History Tellers Award Winner.  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. Nominations for the 2026 History Tellers were opened on April 14, 2026 and applications were reviewed by a selection committee of museum and history experts. “ Marcus and his work inspired everyone on the selection committee.”

GREAT BARRINGTON, MA, June 18, 2026 — The Du Bois Freedom Center (DFC) is pleased to announce the opening of Elizabeth Freeman: Reimagined, an exciting new exhibit celebrating the life, story, and legacy of Elizabeth Freeman. Created in collaboration with Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) and its Center for Art and Community Partnerships (CACP), the exhibit honors Freeman as the first enslaved African American woman to win her freedom in Massachusetts. Through a powerful collection of works, Elizabeth Freeman: Reimagined invites visitors to reflect on her courage, legacy, and lasting impact on the struggle for freedom and justice.

GREAT BARRINGTON, MA, May 27, 2026 — The Du Bois Freedom Center (DFC) is pleased to announce our 2026 Guided Summer Tour Series. These unique walking tours explore the life, legacy, and landscape of civil rights pioneer W.E.B. Du Bois offers an immersive, place-based experience. Join our guided summer tour series running from late May through September (every other Saturday), led by Marcus Smith and Damion Scott, Ph.D. students in the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of African American Studies at UMass Amherst. Open to K-12 students, educators, scholars of Du Bois, and residents alike, the tours visit key sites throughout downtown Great Barrington, from the DFC Visitor Center at 309 Main Street, Great Barrington Town Hall, to the W.E.B. Du Bois Statue and River Walk.

A new portrait-project in Great Barrington is set to honor the legacy of Elizabeth Freeman—an enslaved woman who successfully sued for her freedom and played a pivotal role in setting legal precedent in Massachusetts. This initiative seeks to bring greater recognition to her courageous act and its enduring significance.

The W. E. B. Du Bois Center for Freedom and Democracy is honored to announce that we have been awarded an FY26 Operating Grant for Organizations from the Mass Cultural Council.

The W.E.B. Du Bois Center for Freedom and Democracy is honored to share that the Geoffrey C. Hughes Foundation has made a generous gift in support of our ongoing work to preserve and activate the legacy of W. E. B. Du Bois.

The Du Bois Freedom Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. John Lloyd as Interim Director. Dr. Lloyd is a distinguished scholar and educator with deep expertise in African American history and public humanities. His leadership will guide the Center through an exciting period of growth and transition as we continue to honor the legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois and advance our mission of education, equity, and justice.

"Meet four Obama Alumni mentors helping the next generation of changemakers. Find out what Obama Scholars and Voyagers are learning from our alumni."

The Du Bois Freedom Center announced the first event in its 2024 Reflections on Democracy salon series. The Center will commemorate Juneteenth by hosting An Evening with Congresswoman Nikema Williams who will be in conversation with the Du Bois Freedom Center’s Visiting Scholar on Democracy, Michael Blake.

Educational events and public programs to highlight Du Bois’ vision for our democracy. Highlights of The Du Bois Freedom Center’s 2024 programming season include a four-part Scholars Salon Series moderated by inaugural Visiting Scholar on Democracy, Michael Blake, a former Harvard Visiting Scholar and Obama staffer.

The W. E. B. Du Bois Center for Freedom and Democracy is proud to announce the selection of Ny Whitaker as executive director following a seven-month, national search funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded a $1.1 million grant to the W.E.B. Du Bois Center for Freedom and Democracy. The three-year Humanities in Place grant will support restoration work, programming and staffing for the Center.

In November, the W. E. B. Du Bois Center for Freedom and Democracy will present a two-part virtual program on African American family history and genealogy within and beyond the Berkshires. Dr. Kendra T. Field, the Du Bois Freedom Center’s historian-in-residence, will lead the series to be held via Zoom on November 9 and 16 from 6-7 p.m.

The W. E. B. Du Bois Center for Freedom and Democracy and Dewey Hall are pleased to present Exploring Black Roots Music with Jake Blount on October 20 at 7pm at Dewey Memorial Hall in Sheffield. The concert is a benefit for the Du Bois Freedom Center, an African American cultural heritage center being developed at the former Clinton A. M. E. Zion Church in Great Barrington.

The W. E. B. Du Bois Center for Freedom Center (formerly Clinton Church Restoration) has announced that it has hired Clark and Green Architects to complete the architectural and engineering plans for the African American cultural heritage center it is developing in downtown Great Barrington.

On Friday, August 19 at 4 p.m., the W. E. B. Du Bois Center for Freedom and Democracy (formerly Clinton Church Restoration) will present a roundtable discussion on the life and legacy of Elizabeth Freeman, the first enslaved African American to successfully sue for her freedom in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Clinton Church Restoration is pleased to formally announce that the African American cultural heritage center it is has been developing since 2016 has been named the W. E. B. Du Bois Center for Freedom and Democracy.

Clinton Church Restoration has been awarded a $117,000 capital grant from MassDevelopment and the Mass Cultural Council, one of six grants the project has received in as many months.

The late Rev. Esther Dozier, who initiated Great Barrington’s annual W. E. B. Du Bois birthday celebrations more than 20 years ago, will be honored on what would have been her 80th birthday,