Penn to host Rita Coburn for Du Bois documentary event

The University of Pennsylvania will host filmmaker Rita Coburn on Thursday, Oct. 22, for a screening of excerpts from W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause and a conversation with Penn Provost John L. Jackson Jr. The program highlights Du Bois’ legacy and arrives as Coburn brings the documentary to audiences during awards season.

Why it matters: - The University of Pennsylvania event spotlights W.E.B. Du Bois’ influence on race, justice and democracy. - The program also brings Coburn’s documentary to a university audience as the film moves through awards season. - The screening adds academic context through Penn leaders and scholars, tying the film to campus conversations about history and civil rights.

What happened: - Penn will host award-winning filmmaker Rita Coburn on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. - The event features excerpts from W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause and a conversation between Coburn and Penn Provost John L. Jackson Jr. - The presentation starts at 4:30 p.m. in the ARCH Auditorium, Room 208, at 3601 Locust Walk in Philadelphia. - A reception will follow. - Executive Vice President Mark Dingfield and Lasry Family Professor of Race Relations Tukufu Zuberi will offer remarks.

The details: - The event is presented by Penn’s Offices of the President, Provost and Executive Vice President. - Coburn directed, wrote and produced the documentary. - The film explores Du Bois as a scholar, sociologist, historian, author, activist and Pan-Africanist. - The documentary is narrated by Viola Davis. - It includes dramatic readings by Common, Courtney B. Vance and Jeffrey Wright. - The film also draws on rare archival material and commentary from Henry Louis Gates Jr., Eddie Glaude Jr. and Nikole Hannah-Jones. - Du Bois was born in 1868 and lived through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, two World Wars and the rise of the modern Civil Rights Movement. - The film covers his scholarship, his role in founding the NAACP, his Pan-African work and his final years in Ghana, where he died in 1963. - Coburn said, “Storytelling is how we preserve truth,” adding that bringing Du Bois to life reconnects audiences with ideas that continue to shape democracy and the world. - Coburn previously directed Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise and Marian Anderson: The Whole World In Her Hands. - The latest film aired in 2026 as part of PBS’s American Masters series. - The film is a co-production of RCW Media Productions, Inc. and American Masters, produced in association with the Center for Independent Documentary and Black Public Media. - Original music is by Kathryn Bostic, and editing is by K.A. Miille. - The official trailer is available here. - More information is available here.

Between the lines: - Penn is framing the event as both a film screening and an intellectual discussion, not just a campus presentation. - The lineup of scholars, artists and cultural figures suggests the documentary aims to bridge academic history and public storytelling. - The presence of Du Bois-focused departments and campus centers signals strong institutional interest in the subject matter.

What's next: - Penn’s event will take place Thursday, Oct. 22, with the conversation and reception following the screening excerpts. - Coburn is continuing to present the documentary to broader audiences during awards season. - The screening may further position the film for academic and cultural discussion beyond television and festival audiences.