In 1940, W.E.B. Du Bois published Dusk of Dawn, an exploration of race, Black identity, and pan-African cultural consciousness narrated through Du Bois’ personal experiences and ancestral history. Co-organized by the W.E.B. Du Bois Freedom Center, this program brings together two thought-provoking presentations delving into the intersection of memoir, history, and sociopolitical thought.

Opening the program, author Jennifer Neal will share insights from her recent book, My Pisces Heart: A Black Immigrant’s Search for Home Across Four Continents (Catapult, 2024), a memoir presenting thoughtful analyses of Black history and racial politics that contextualize her experience living in the US and abroad. Reflecting on her time in Japan, Neal looks to W.E.B. Du Bois and his complicated, seemingly contradictory stance on Black radicalism’s relationship with empire in the early twentieth century. Ultimately, Neal’s memoir demonstrates how we live with our histories, and how our histories live through us.

To further the conversation, historian Marcus Smith will delve into the nuances of public history, examining Du Bois’s strategy of integrating scholarly rigor with public engagement to present global vision of Black history as an emancipatory force. Drawing on materials from the archive of the W.E.B. Du Bois Center (Amherst, MA), Smith will highlight how Du Bois’ local roots in Great Barrington bridged his international influence, affirming the importance of his legacy within the community that nurtured his early life and intellectual development. 

Jennifer Neal is an award-winning American/Australian author, artist, musician, and occasional standup comedian (really) currently living in Berlin. Her writing has appeared in Playboy, NPR, CNN, Gay Magazine, The Willowherb Review, The Establishment, SBS, Atlas Obscura, and more. Her first book, Notes on Her Colour was published in May 2023 with Catapult/Penguin Random House Australia and was named a Best Book of 2023 by Harper’s Bazaar and Meanjin Magazine. It also won the Vulgar Geniuses Award for Fiction. Her second book, My Pisces Heart, was published on 22 October 2024 with Catapult (North America) as a non-fiction exploration of Black histories told through the lens of her personal experiences. 

Marcus P. Smith is a historic preservationist, historical consultant, and fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Afro-American Studies and Public History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where his scholarship focuses on preserving, documenting, and interpreting historically African American communities, cultural landscapes, and historic sites. He served as a docent at the W.E.B. Du Bois Homestead National Historic Site (Great Barrington, MA), contributed to the Du Bois Freedom Center’s Programming and Interpretation initiatives, and in 2024, was selected as a Graduate Research Fellow at the W.E.B. Du Bois Center at UMass Amherst. That same year, he received the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship to support his research on and work with grassroots museums in historically Black rural, agro-urban, and coastal communities across Maryland, Mississippi, and Florida. Smith is the founder of the Black Grassroots Heritage Preservation Network, a digital storytelling, advocacy, and interactive mapping platform that amplifies Black preservationists’ voices and community-led projects. 

The W.E.B. Du Bois Freedom Center educates the public about the life and legacy of civil rights pioneer W.E.B. Du Bois and the rich African American heritage of the Berkshires. Located at the former Clinton A.M.E. Zion Church in Great Barrington, where he was born and raised, this vibrant center of Black thought and remembrance constitutes the first museum and living memorial in North America dedicated to Du Bois’ life and legacy. 

We are grateful for the support of an anonymous donor.  

Photos: Janine Kuehn (Neal)

This event is FREE and open to the public!
Seating is limited, registration is recommended:

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• This one-hour talk takes place in The Mount’s Stable Auditorium, an indoor, climate controlled venue adjacent to the parking lot. Limited accessible parking is available in front of the Stable.
• Seating for all programs at The Mount is first come, first served. If you have seating preferences, we recommend arriving fifteen minutes early.
• Accessible seating is available! Please phone us in advance to discuss arrangements: 413-551-5100
• A book signing will follow this talk. Books can be purchased from The Mount Bookstore at the event or online from Bookshop.org.

Questions? Email: programs@edithwharton.org

The Community Voices Project fosters meaningful collaborations between The Mount and regional community partners. Through discussions, workshops, readings, and events, the Project aims to nurture and support the development of bold, new storytelling that strengthens diverse voices and incites cross-cultural exchange.   

What accessibility accommodations does The Mount offer? The Mount is a Massachusetts Cultural Council UP designated organization welcoming participants of all disabilities. Please contact us by phone: 413-551-5100 or by email: info@edithwharton.org to discuss accommodations needed to participate fully in this event. Golf carts will be available to shuttle those with mobility concerns between the parking lot and event venue. View The Mount’s Health and Safety Guidelines.