The Du Bois Freedom Center Launches The Mite Society Children’s Reading Group Inaugural Event October 25th, 2026
GREAT BARRINGTON, MA — The Du Bois Freedom Center (DFC) is happy to announce the launch of The Mite Society Children’s Reading Group.
Inspired by a 140-year legacy, the NEW Mite Society is a welcoming, intergenerational space where children and families can come together to explore African American history, culture, and storytelling.
The History of the Children’s Mite Society:
Founded in February 1884, the Children’s Mite Society of Clinton A.M.E. Zion Church provided educational opportunities for Black children in Great Barrington while organizing children’s performances to raise funds for the church building.
Together, the Mite Society and the church’s Sunday school served as important centers of education for the local Black community, introducing children to music, rhetoric, public speaking, and new ideas.
The New Mite Society:
The Du Bois Freedom Center is proud to be reigniting this long-standing tradition of family and community gathering and engagement with our New Mite Society Programming.
FREE and Open to All, these special gatherings provide intergenerational opportunities to read together, engage in conversation, and enjoy fun activities as together we explore our community’s rich African American culture, history, legacy and stories.
Inaugural Mite Society Event:
DFC’s Inaugural Mite Society Gathering will be held on
October 25 at 1 PM at their 309 Main Street Visitor Center in Great Barrington
This first intergenerational event will celebrate the life, legacy and Story of
Elizabeth Freeman, the first enslaved woman to win her freedom in a court of law under the new Massachusetts Constitution in 1781.
The event will feature famed local author Jana Laiz reading from her award winning youth biography "A Free Woman On God's Earth" The True Story of Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman Co-written with Ann Elizabeth Barnes and illustrated by Jacqueline Barnes, “ A Free Woman on God’s Earth” brings the story of Elizabeth Freeman’s extraordinary courage to life for young readers.
Participants at the event will also have the opportunity to view the Du Bois Freedom Center’s exclusive exhibit Elizabeth Freeman-Reimagined This unique exhibit of Student -Led works from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and their Center for Art and Community Partnerships served as the inspiration for the Du Bois Freedom Center’s interpretive story-telling kiosk. The kiosk now stands at the corner of Elizabeth Freeman Way and Main Street in front of Great Barrington Town Hall, where residents and visitors alike can learn the remarkable story of how Elizabeth Freeman won her freedom in a court of law in 1781 — a case that paved the way for the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts. Fittingly, Great Barrington Town Hall is located on the exact site of the courthouse where Elizabeth Freeman’s case was heard.
The October 25 event will also include creative activities and inspiring conversation with author Jana Laiz and DFC Deputy Director, and 2026 Mars History Tellers Award Winner, Marcus Smith.
Through Elizabeth Freeman’s story, participants will learn about her courageous pursuit of freedom and her enduring importance to the history of our community, Massachusetts and the nation.
This event is free and open to families, grandparents, school groups, children 8 and up.
“We invite children and families to join us for the Mite Society—to gather, read, ask questions, share ideas, and discover Black history together. Come explore the people, places, and stories that have shaped our communities and our country, and help young people see that history is not something distant—it lives in the places we know, the stories we share, and the world around us. Through reading and conversation, we hope families will connect the past to the present and discover how Black history deepens our understanding of the American story.”
~Marcus Smith, Deputy Director, Du Bois Freedom Center
For more information Visit: https://www.duboisfreedomcenter.org/
For Information on Elizabeth Freeman-Reimagined Visit: https://www.duboisfreedomcenter.org/elizabeth-freeman
For press inquiries please email: office@duboisfreedomcenter.org
