W.E.B. Du Bois

Description

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868-1963) was an American civil rights leader and one of the most important black thinkers of the twentieth century. He was a pioneering scholar and activist who helped to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and wrote extensively on racial issues. He was also a prolific writer, authoring works such as The Souls of Black Folk (1903), Black Reconstruction in America (1935), and Color and Democracy (1945).

Du Bois was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts and graduated from Fisk University in 1888. He then earned his doctorate from Harvard and became the first African American to ever receive a PhD from Harvard University. He was an active member of the NAACP, becoming the editor of its magazine, The Crisis. He also founded the Niagara Movement, which was a precursor to the NAACP. Du Bois was a vocal advocate of civil rights, speaking out against lynching, segregation, and racial discrimination. He was a prolific writer, publishing dozens of books, articles, and essays on race and civil rights.

Du Bois was a champion of civil rights, advocating for the rights of African Americans in the United States and worldwide. He argued that African Americans should be given the same rights as citizens of the United States and that they should have the right to vote. He also advocated for educational equality, arguing that all children should have access to the same quality of education regardless of race. His fight for civil rights and equality had a lasting impact on the civil rights movement, and his legacy continues to be celebrated today.