They're the scrapbooks of a socialite, but the contents reveal so much more. Stories that add to the reconstruction of Black women's histories recently came alive in honor of Black History Month at the W.E.B. Du Bois Center for the Study of the Black Experience (CSBE) at Bowie State University.

On Feb. 19, 2026, the CSBE hosted the annual keynote event commemorating the life of Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois. But this lecture had a new twist: it centered on his daughter, Yolande Du Bois (1900-1961), who was a Harlem Renaissance artist, writer, editor and scholar in her own right.

The event was held in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center, almost to the day honoring the anniversary of Dr. Du Bois' Feb. 23, 1868 birth. Under the guidance of Dr. Karen Cook Bell, chairperson for the Department of History and Government and director of the CSBE, the program highlighted Yolande's accomplishments, who followed in her father's footsteps as a contemporary voice speaking to issues of Blackness and civil rights during the Jim Crow era.

Although she could be seen as a socialite, Yolande lived life of civic service," said Dr. Cook Bell. "She contributed to the work of social and civil engagement through her works in the NAACP publication of the time. Beyond her visual and literary artistry, she was an educator working in Baltimore at the Frederick Douglass High School and Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C."

To further illuminate the life of Yolande Du Bois, Dr. Phillip Sinitiere, senior research fellow from the W.E.B. Du Bois Center at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, delivered commentary offering rich context on her scrapbooks.

"His research establishes Yolande as a historical figure outside of the shadow of her father," Dr. Cook Bell noted in her introduction.

Dr. Sinitiere's enlightening discussion focused on scrapbooks that Yolande put together to document her life and that of her family between 1915 and 1929. They show Ms. Du Bois' evolution from teenager to Columbia University college student and a middle-aged Black professional woman navigating the early 20th century. Her meticulously curated scrapbooks offer a peer into her personal life and, more broadly, offer a valuable addition to the history of the Harlem Renaissance and Black women in the U.S.

Audience members were mesmerized by the presentation. Charles Bennett, a freshman Visual Communications & Digital Media Arts major, was left in awe.

"I had never heard of Yolande Du Bois before today, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn about her rich history. Yolande's life is an example of the importance of being involved in your community."

A full circle moment elevated the event. Yolande Du Bois' grandson Jeffery Du Bois Peck was in the audience, and he provided his enriching perspective of a woman who lived a full life as a scholar, artist and educator.

The examination of Yolande Du Bois' life underscores the commitment by Bowie State and the CSBE to promote innovative research in the fields of African, African American and African Diaspora Studies. Yolande's works are featured in the Du Bois Center's journal Freedom 2. Bowie State is dedicated to offering access and learning opportunities for students, faculty and staff across the University System of Maryland and the public at large.