By: Olivia Laramie
September 29, 2017
W.E.B. Du Bois, the namesake of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Du Bois library and African American scholar, writer and activist, was born on February 23, 1868. Du Bois was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard and his dissertation, “The Suppression of the African Slave Trade” was published by the Harvard University Press. Du Bois accomplished a great deal in his lifetime. He taught at various universities in the United States, published a book, founded the Niagara Movement, worked for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), organized the Pan-African Congress in Paris, and was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1950, among many other achievements.
On September 27, the W.E.B. Du Bois library hosted an event in the Du Bois Center on the 22nd floor of the library. Copies of Du Bois’ book, The Souls of Black Folk, were handed out to students and free popcorn was given away. This event kicks off a 150-day countdown ending on the anniversary of Du Bois’ 150th birthday.
On October 5, 1994, the UMass Amherst Board of Trustees voted to name the 26 floor library in honor of Du Bois stating, “As we march into the Twenty First Century we feel it is time to go beyond the color line and appropriately name the Tower Library in honor of one of the finest heroes…”
The decision was met with controversy from the UMass community – including the administration and student groups. The administration wanted to keep the library for a future donor and some student groups argued that Du Bois was a Communist and Anti-American. These claims came from the fact that Du Bois joined the Communist Party and became a dual-citizen of Ghana at 93-years-old.
The W.E.B Du Bois Petition Coalition formed in early 1994. Their mission was to name the library after Du Bois, increase the enrollment rate of ALANA students (African American, Latin American, Asian American, and Native American) to 20 percent, and increase the amount of scholarships for economically challenged students. Ultimately, the library was named in Du Bois honor and was officially dedicated in 1996.
His book, The Souls of Black Folk, is considered a “founding work in the literature of black protest,” according to Dover Publications. The book is a collection of essays on race and is considered by many to be essential reading for anyone interested in civil rights in America.
Associate Professor for the Department of Anthropology at UMass Amherst, Whitney Battle-Baptiste was at the event handing out books to students. “This Fall, [the event] was helped by a donation from a local woman, Dr. Pat Romney,” Baptiste said. The event began two years ago and has received money from different donors for books over the years. Each book comes with an insert titled, “Why is your library named for W.E.B Du Bois?” Baptiste says this is because “[the library staff] wants people to know who he is, the importance of this library being named for Du Bois and the fact that [the naming} was through grass-root movements and student protests…”
This is the first time the event has been held in the Du Bois Center of the library.
Visit the Du Bois Center website for more information: library.umass.edu/w-e-b-du-bois-center
