Dougherty Commissioner Gloria Gaines to serve as honorary sponsor of 2027 international conference in Atlanta

ALBANY – In 1898, academic and sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois traveled to southwest Georgia during his summer break from teaching to investigate the lives of black residents in the “Black Belt” and later covered his sociological studies of the region in two chapters of his book “The Souls of Black Folk.”

The academic and peace activist’s visit and subsequent account was more than an intellectual exercise, however, according to Dougherty County Commissioner Gloria Gaines.

Du Bois’ account inspired South Carolina native Joseph Winthrop Holley to move to Albany, where he founded the Albany Bible and Manual Training Institute. The institute  later became part of the University System of Georgia and became a four-year college in 1943 before its last renaming in 1996 as Albany State University.

Holley was inspired by Du Bois’ writing, said Gaines, who will be an honorary sponsor of The International Conference on W.E.B. Du Bois: Race, Democracy and Global Justice in 2027. The conference is scheduled for April 9-11 in Atlanta.

“I am in admiration (of) his impact on the founding of Albany State University,” Gaines said. “I also appreciate his political philosophy as well. He was clearly identified with Atlanta University and education.”

During her time at Albany State, Gaines worked in the office of civil rights attorney C.B. King.  She holds a master’s degree in community development and worked as an assistant general manager for MARTA. 

Her travels also have taken her to Africa, where she worked and met Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

For the 2027 conference, Gaines has collaborated with individuals, including professor Preston King, C.B. King’s youngest brother..

Last year she traveled to Accra, Ghana, where DuBois died after he was forced out of the United States for his opposition to nuclear weapons and had his passport renewal denied, for his 157th birthday celebration.

The conference will feature discussions of democracy, equality and human dignity, Gaines said

“Those are issues that were important to him,” she said. “Now is a good time to talk about democracy. Some may see it as under threat. I think this conference will be timely. It’s a timely issue, not just for black folks as well as human dignity and equality within the country. I am very pleased and very honored to be an honorary sponsor.”