Jeffrey Wright Discusses W.E.B. Du Bois Documentary
Actor Jeffrey Wright spoke after a screening of Rita Coburn's documentary W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in African-American
Jeffrey Wright spoke following a screening of W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause, the latest documentary feature by Rita Coburn. Coburn and Wright are on a months-long theatrical roadshow tour of the two-hour film, narrated by Viola Davis.
Why it matters
The documentary revisits the life of Du Bois, the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard, through a mix of dramatic readings and archival material. Its touring screenings bring the historical record to audiences in person.
The film runs two hours and is narrated by Viola Davis, with dramatic readings by Common, Courtney B. Vance, and Jeffrey Wright. Attendance and distribution figures for the tour have not been disclosed.
The players
Jeffrey Wright
Jeffrey Wright is an American actor known for stage and screen roles, who performed dramatic readings in the documentary.
Rita Coburn
Rita Coburn is a documentary filmmaker who directed, wrote, and produced the film.
Viola Davis
Viola Davis is an Academy Award-winning American actress who narrates the documentary.
The details
The documentary is stitched together from dramatic readings, rare archival footage, photographs, and historical documents, with commentary from scholars including Henry Louis Gates Jr., Eric Foner, and Nikole Hannah-Jones. Coburn has screened the film in Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, London, and Cambridge, England, often followed by discussions with cast members.
Timeline
1868: Du Bois is born.
1963: Du Bois dies in Ghana.
May: The film screens on PBS in the U.S.
November: The film screens in Los Angeles and New York.
Legacy Revisited
The film extends the scholarship of W.E.B. Du Bois, who was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard, into a documentary format built on archival records. It adds a new medium to the historical account of his life and work.
Viewers can see the documentary through scheduled theatrical screenings on the roadshow tour, including November dates in Los Angeles and New York. The film has also aired on PBS in the U.S., offering another route to watch it.
The takeaway
Revisiting Du Bois through film shows how historical scholarship can reach broader audiences beyond the printed page. Readers interested in the subject can seek out screenings or broadcasts of the documentary to learn more about his work.
What happens next
Coburn and Wright continue their theatrical roadshow tour, with screenings scheduled in Los Angeles and New York in November.
Further reading
Explore more African-American culture coverage to see how historical figures like Du Bois continue to shape contemporary conversations.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Deadline.
