For all the advancements we’ve accomplished as a race in our still-ongoing fight for equality here in America, the Black community owes a true debt to a handful of key pioneers who made it possible for us to even make it this far.
One in particular was writer, historian and civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois, who becomes the subject of an exploratory new documentary by Peabody-winning director Rita Coburn for the long-running PBS series, American Masters.
RELATED: Little Known Black History Fact: W.E.B. DuBois
With last month’s premiere of W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause, now streaming in full on PBS, the life of a cultural icon is examined through the combination of deep care for its subject, extremely detailed research and a touch of star power in retelling his posthumous point of view. In addition to Oscar-winner Viola Davis lending her voice to narrate overall, dramatic readings by actors Jeffrey Wright, Courtney B. Vance and rapper Common each add a verbal sense of strength and veracity to some of his most famous quotes.
More about the documentary below, via PBS:
“‘Rebel With A Cause’ charts this visionary’s singular journey by exploring both his monumental achievements and his deeply personal struggles. From the loss of his infant son to his lifelong battles with systemic racism, Du Bois’s humanity shaped his activism, enabling him to transcend the social constraints of the early 20th century and elevate the lives of Black people worldwide — inspiring leaders from the Harlem Renaissance to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
A rebel against the status quo, Du Bois relentlessly spearheaded the fight for racial justice. By showing the world ‘The Souls of Black Folk,’ through his 1903 book by that same name, he prophetically declared: ‘The problem of the 20th century is the color line.’ He co-founded the NAACP, helped launch the Niagara Movement, challenged contemporaries such as Booker T. Washington and Marcus Garvey, and contributed to the founding of the United Nations.”
We had the honor of speaking exclusively with Rita Coburn on what went into putting together yet another masterful documentary in her glowing roster, which also includes Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise (2016), Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (2022) and production on San Juan Hill: Manhattan’s Lost Neighborhood (2024). From months of studying his written works to the domino effects that ultimately made everything fall into place, the conversation helped us understand how the film itself continues the dream Du Bois had for the global spread of Black excellence. What better way than with a documentary?
