The Du Bois Forum

About the project

Dr. Kendra T. Field | Co-Founder

W.E.B. Du Bois helped to lay the foundation for today’s Black intellectual and artistic traditions. One of Du Bois’s lifelong dreams was to bring together scholars, writers, and artists of color, and to institutionalize support for their individual and collective work. In addition to scouting land for a possible retreat center in the Berkshires and his participation in the renowned Pan African Congresses, Du Bois convened groups of Black scholars and writers at Troutbeck, the Spingarn estate in nearby Amenia, New York.

Drawing upon this century-old foundation, the Du Bois Forum shapes the future of Black intellectual and artistic traditions. The forum serves as an incubator for scholarly and creative projects; a communal space for individual and collaborative ventures; and a meeting and resting place for writers, scholars, and artists engaged in this work. In this way, the Forum aims to support Black thought, creative production, and social change.