The W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project of Great Barrington, Massachusetts has announced a matching grant in honor of the birthday of W.E.B. Du Bois, born on February 23, 1868. Donations will fund a statue of W.E.B. Du Bois in front of the Mason Public Library.
Anne G. Fredericks and Marc Fasteau will match $7,500 in donations during the month of February, which is also Black History Month, to honor Great Barrington native son and civil rights scholar, W.E.B. Du Bois. “How wonderful that we can celebrate Du Bois’ 155th birthday with this generous grant from Anne and Marc,” said Julie Michaels, Chair of the W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project. “It means that all donations, up to $7,500, that are made to the Project during February will be matched and doubled.”
To date, the DuBois Sculpture Project has raised more than $100,000 toward its $325,000 goal. Funds will go toward creating a life-size bronze sculpture of Du Bois, who will be seated on a marble bench in front of the Mason Public Library. Funds will also go to repairing the library’s front steps and help establish a Du Bois reading room in the Library.
Donations can be made online at
www.webduboissculpture.org or mailed to W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project, P.O. Box 155, Great Barrington, MA 01230. “Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated; they will help us reach the goal of recognizing this great man who is part of our nation’s story,” said Michaels.
About the W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project
The W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project was launched in May 2022 by a volunteer group of local citizens with the goal of recognizing Du Bois’ scholarly achievements in the fight for racial equality. The Project celebrates Great Barrington, a town whose long abolitionist history and powerful commitment to public education helped shape the person Du Bois became. The Sculpture Project is endorsed and supported by town officials including the Great Barrington Select Board, the Great Barrington Library Trustees, W.E.B. Du Bois Town Legacy Committee, among many others.
About W.E.B. Du Bois
W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) was born and educated in Great Barrington. He was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. A world-famous sociologist, historian, and founder of the NAACP, he wrote The Souls of Black Folk, a seminal
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