PBS documentary on W.E.B. Du Bois to debut in 2026

PBS will debut a documentary about W.E.B. Du Bois in 2026 titled “W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause” as part of their “American Masters” series.

Du Bois was born in Great Barrington on February 23, 1868, and was a historian, sociologist, and civil rights activist with global influence. He co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909 and was also the editor of the NAACP’s journal, The Crisis.

In July, a statue of Du Bois was unveiled at the Mason Library to honor the Great Barrington native and his legacy.

The film is directed by Rita Coburn, who has directed and produced several documentaries in the “American Masters” series, including “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” and “Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands.” “What Du Bois does in this moment is what he has always done — champion people of color and oppressed citizens of caste societies globally by fiercely addressing what he prophetically and famously wrote in his 1903 publication, The Souls of Black Folk: ‘the problem of the 20th century is the color line,’” Coburn is quoted as saying in a press release for the documentary. “This documentary will work tirelessly to bring his still-resonant point of view, that ‘either the United States will destroy ignorance, or ignorance will destroy the United States,’ to the forefront.”

Massachusetts-based musician Eleanor Levine is an associate producer of the documentary. “Du Bois was one of the first civil rights activists, and he was also a big proponent of the women’s rights movement as well,” she told The Berkshire Edge. “He made a lot of people angry because of his ideas. Du Bois also went head to head with many other civil rights leaders, including those [like] Booker T. Washington. Du Bois was not afraid of causing a stir and speaking his opinion, which is why we gave the title of this documentary ‘Rebel With a Cause.’”

Levine said Du Bois’ life “is really a huge story to tell.” “It’s more than just about one man’s life,” she explained. “He lived to be almost 100 years old, and that’s a lot of time to cover. But Du Bois’ story is also a story about American history because of what he did. There are a lot of things people don’t know about him. The scope of his work is huge, along with the impact of his work, and that’s what we are going to tell with this documentary.”

Levine said the documentary was originally going to be 90 minutes long. “But we had to expand it because we needed time to tell this story,” she said. “I don’t think people realize his global reach. Du Bois was always thinking about uplifting marginalized people all across the globe, not just Black Americans. He travelled all around the world, including Asia and Europe, to try to find ways to liberate people.”

Levine said at least 20 people were interviewed for the documentary, including literary critic and historian Henry Louis Gates Jr., former Ambassador to the U.N. Andrew Young, and journalist Nicole Hannah Jones.

“It’s imperative that this film comes out right now,” Levine said. “His ideas about uplifting all people and working together to do that are still relevant, especially at a time when we are so divisive. Du Bois spoke his mind freely and was always trying to find ways to help people educate themselves and to move past their ignorance and hatred.”

Federal cuts to PBS, however, mean additional funds still need to be raised to complete the documentary, Levine said.

On Saturday, December 6, at 5 p.m., Multicultural Bridge will have a fundraising event for the film at its Solidarity Meeting House at 965 Main Street in Great Barrington. Levine said the goal for the fundraiser is to raise $100,000 to complete the documentary.

Levine said the event will include clips from the documentary and a panel discussion. “We are trying to raise these funds because the documentary encompasses a huge story that requires a lot of research and post-production work,” she said. “The cost of production work alone has skyrocketed, including the costs of archival materials, historical music, footage, and photographs. All of these elements are really important to the film. We had a lot of budget constraints, which is why we couldn’t film anything in Great Barrington.”

Levine said she hopes that the documentary will inspire a younger generation to explore Du Bois’ work.

For more information about the fundraising event on December 6, visit the event’s website.

Find more information about the documentary here.