Yolande Du Bois Williams Irvin

Celebrating the Life of Y. Du Bois Williams Irvin:

In the Shadow of and On the Shoulders of an Intellectual Giant;

W.E.B. Du Bois, Her “Gran’Pa”

Written by

MaryNell Morgan-Brown, Ph.D.

(with Eloise Doxie-Dixon, Gloria Vando Hickok, and Jeffrey Peck, Sr.)

FORETHOUGHT:

Yolande Du Bois Williams Irvin, October 11, 1932 – November 15, 2021, was the only child of the late Nina Yolande Du Bois and Arnett Franklin Williams.  Her maternal grandparents were Nina Gomer Du Bois and William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B.) Du Bois, the internationally renowned intellectual, civil rights activist, author, scholar, and educator.

She always used Du Bois, “Dew Boyce – rhymes with Joyce,” as her first name.  She was a life-long learner, an educator, and a wellness advocate.  She loved singing, dancing, and fast sporty cars.  She saw herself as an “old Soul” because she spent her formative years with her maternal grandparents.  She never met a stranger and her friends often became part of her extended family.

HER EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION:

At an early age Du Bois attended the Modern School for pre-kindergarten children in Harlem, New York City.  In middle school she attended Northfield Seminary for Young Ladies in Gill, Massachusetts.  She graduated from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Baltimore, Maryland, where her mother taught.  She had fond memories of participating on her high school debating team.  Following high school, she traveled with her Gran’ Pa to attend the International Youth Conference in Prague.  She said that trip was a highlight of her life and it convinced her that travel plays an important role in education.  She attended Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee and completed her bachelor’s degree at New York University.  She earned her doctorate in psychology at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

HER WORK:

According to Du Bois, her family joked that each generation after her “Gran’Pa” (Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois) would be teachers.  That joke came about because Dr. Du Bois considered teaching to be his most important work.  After she pursued work in the mental health field, Du Bois found her calling as a teacher when she joined the faculty of Xavier University of Louisiana in the Department of Psychology, 1988.  She won the “Best Teacher Award” 1989, at the end of her first year as a full-time professor!!!

She started to emerge from the shadow and to stand on the shoulders of her “Gran’Pa.”  She said that she came out of the “proverbial closet” and started taking on the mission that had been his life’s work.  She started to accept lecture invitations.  She shared the podium at Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, with the granddaughter of Booker T. Washington.  She was an honored guest when the W.E.B. Du Bois Black Heritage Stamp was issued in Atlanta, Georgia.  She was interviewed by David Levering Lewis for his two-volume, Pulitzer Prize winning biography of Dr. Du Bois.  Louis Massiah, the Director of Scribe Video Center, interviewed her for his documentary “W.E.B. Du Bois:  A Biography in Four Voices.”  She participated in the 90 ^th and 100 ^th commemoration of the 1906 Niagara Movement’s meeting at Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia.  She spoke at numerous conferences, symposia, and programs celebrating African American history and the life, work, and legacy of her “Gran’Pa.”

As an educator, Du Bois used a holistic, mentoring, and healing approach.  She demonstrated love and concern for her students, their families, and their communities.  She focused on their physical and mental wellness.  She mentored and coached students in their plans for graduate-level study.  Several students kept in touch with her after graduating from XULA.

HER DESCENDENTS:

Du Bois was the mother of five children; Nina Carol Irvin; Arthur Edward McFarlane, II; Mark Adam Peck (deceased); Jeffrey Alan Peck, Sr.; and Andre’ Peck (stepson, deceased).  She had six grandchildren; Ry’Ann J. Irvin; Janae A. Peck Young; Chasonique B. Peck; Jeffrey Alan Peck, Jr.; Eliana Yolande’ Peck;  Arthur Edward McFarlane, III.  In addition, she had five great-grandchildren.

HER TRANSITION:

Du Bois was a kind, generous, and determined Spirit.  As a child she was a committed Catholic.  She learned to speak and read Latin.  Later in her life, she returned to Catholicism.  She prayed daily for her family and friends.  She had religious classes weekly until the COVID-19 pandemic.

She died peacefully at the Good Samaritan Retirement Community, Fort Collins, Colorado on Monday, November 15, 2021.

Her life and legacy will be celebrated by family and many friends.  She will be missed and long remembered!

On Saturday, February 19, 2022, memorial services will be held in Great Barrington, Massachusetts at the First Congregational Church by Bishop James Dixon of Community Faith Church and the President of the NAACP Chapter of Houston, TX where Jeff Peck, her son, resides. She will be buried alongside her mother, Nina Yolande Du Bois in Great Barrington, MA at the Mahaiwe Cemetery.  Details for the services are being arranged by her son, Jeffrey Peck with the support of Gwendolyn VanSant of BRIDGE and their local partners.

There will be a play, Knock Me with A Kiss , in honor of Dr. Yolande “Du Bois” Williams, granddaughter of Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois, as part of the Town of Great Barrington Du Bois Legacy Festival on Friday, February 18, 2022 at 7 PM. The play tells the story of Dr. Du Bois in relationship with his daughter during the Harlem Renaissance. This play is co-produced by Shakespeare & Co. and BRIDGE. Dr. Williams collaborated with playwright Chuck Wright in its development.

TRIBUTE VIDEOS

Congresswoman:

https://vimeo.com/679490892/ b2b79eacbc

https://we.tl/t-0ydeDNWprW

Xavier Presentation:

https://youtu.be/iDp4lcCgDdI

MLK:

https://vimeo.com/679277867/ 1370de1cd9

Outpost Tribute:

https://vimeo.com/679262563/ 3c1b1b325e