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W. E. B. Du Bois

W. E. B. Du Bois
Formal photograph of W. E. B. Du Bois, with beard and mustache, around 50 years old
W. E. B. Du Bois in 1918
Born William Edward Burghardt Du Bois
(1868-02-23)February 23, 1868
Great Barrington, Massachusetts, United States
Died August 27, 1963(1963-08-27) (aged 95)
Accra, Ghana
Residence Atlanta, Georgia
New York City, New York
Fields Civil rights, sociology, history
Institutions Atlanta University, NAACP
Alma mater
Known for
Influences Alexander Crummell
William James
Notable awards Spingarn Medal (1920)
Lenin Peace Prize (1959)
Spouse Nina Gomer Du Bois
Shirley Graham Du Bois
Signature

William Edward Burghardt "W. E. B." Du Bois (pronounced /dˈbɔɪz/ doo-BOYZ; February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, and editor. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a relatively tolerant and integrated community. After completing graduate work at the University of Berlin and Harvard, where he was the first African American to earn a doctorate, he became a professor of history, sociology and economics at Atlanta University. Du Bois was one of the co-founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909.

Du Bois rose to national prominence as the leader of the Niagara Movement, a group of African-American activists who wanted equal rights for blacks. Du Bois and his supporters opposed the Atlanta compromise, an agreement crafted by Booker T. Washington which provided that Southern blacks would work and submit to white political rule, while Southern whites guaranteed that blacks would receive basic educational and economic opportunities. Instead, Du Bois insisted on full civil rights and increased political representation, which he believed would be brought about by the African-American intellectual elite. He referred to this group as the Talented Tenth and believed that African Americans needed the chances for advanced education to develop its leadership.


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