What is The Great Barrington Project?

The Great Barrington Project is an ongoing community art and discussion series connected to the ideas and writings of Great Barrington, Massachusetts native son W.E.B. Du Bois. The creator is Delano Burrowes, a writer, artist, and curator, and also a Great Barrington native son. The first event was, appropriately enough, in the namesake Berkshires town, during the week of May 16-22, 2022. The second event will be in Reading. Pennsylvania in 2023. TGBP is partnering with the Reading NAACP for their weeklong Juneteenth celebration. Reading is considered the poorest city in the country - with between 40-45 percent of residents living in poverty. But what about the people behind those numbers?The next enactment will be in Brooklyn NY, with a discussion about gentrification: where do all the Black people go when they are pushed out of neighborhoods they have lived in for generations? And what does that feel like? There are plans after that to take TGBP to Alabama and Georgia, and other places.

Since the summer of 2020, this country has finally been acknowledging how entrenched in our society is the idea that Blackness is seen as a problem and the consequences of that. We are all, regardless of background, subject to the same media and social influences that perpetuate this narrative. It’s crucial that we don’t look at racism and intolerance as an “over there” issue, but as one that is present in our own communities, bodies, and minds. How we stop this centuries-old way of thinking and seeing is through awareness and sometimes uncomfortable honesty. Bias rooted in White Supremacy lives through secrecy and shame. Pretending it doesn’t exist within us is part of the problem. Is this difficult, yes. But it’s also a privilege to even have the choice to address it or go back to hiding one’s head in the story that bias doesn’t exist within us.

Throughout the week, there will be an interactive public experience where anyone walking by is invited to sit in a chair across from a seated Black person and look in their eyes, to see them. We all create narratives about strangers every day, but how often do we stop, pause, and truly see an individual instead of stereotypes, especially if they’re Black?

Those who identify as Black will also be invited to write answers to the questions 

1. How does the world see me?

2. How do I see myself?

At the end of the week there will be a free public event around these ideas co-facilitated with a local social justice organization ( at the first event it was co-hosted with Multicultural Bridge.) Black residents will speak about their double consciousness lived experiences and the consequences of being seen as “ a problem.” Actors will also read some of the stories submitted through the website.

The Great Barrington Project is a work in progress, ongoing and evolving, and will travel to many communities around the country with the hopes that it can be a model for others and continue to branch out into new and unexpected directions. The blog will document the creative process and display photographs and answers to the questions. It’s also where volunteers can sign up.

True change only happens with some discomfort. There is no way around it.