Life of W.E.B Du Bois
In memory of W.E.B Du Bois
W.E.B Du Bois was born February 23, 1868 in Great Barrington Massachusetts. He freely attended school with whites and supported in his academic studies by his teachers who were also white. In 1885 W.E.B Du Bois moved to Nashville tennessee to go to the school Fisk University. This is where he encountered Jim Crow Laws and he began analyzing the deep troubles of american racism. The Jim Crow Law is a statutes enacted by Southern states and municipalities, beginning in the 1880s, that legalized segregation between blacks and whites. After earning his bachelor's degree at Fisk University Du Bois went to Harvard University. The way he paid for this is through summer jobs, scholarships, and loans from friends. After he got his master’s degree he was selected for a study abroad program at the University of Berlin. He got to work alongside of some of the greatest scientist of his day and was exposed to political perspectives. Du Bois was the first African American to get a PHD from Harvard University this happened in 1895. Du Bois later enrolled as a doctoral student at Wilhelms Universität now known as Humboldt Universität.
W.E.B Du Bois
Not to long after Du Bois published his landmark study first case of study of an african american community called the philadelphia Negro this marked the start of his writing career. In his study (philadelphian negro) he made the phrase talented tenth this describes the likelihood of one in 10 black men becoming leaders of their race. While working as a professor at Atlanta University, W.E.B. Du Bois rose to national prominence when he very publicly opposed Booker T. Washington's "Atlanta Compromise," an agreement that asserted that vocational education for blacks was more valuable to them than social advantages like higher education or political office. Du Bois criticized Booker T. for not wanting equality for african americans. He became a spokesperson for equality for everyone in every aspect of life. In 1903 Du Bois published his seminal work called The Souls of Black Folk which was a collection of 14 essays. Du Bois did not like the idea of white superiority and openly supported women's rights. In 1909 Du Bois co founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and was the editor of its monthly magazine known as The Crisis. Du Bois helped organize several Pan-African Congresses to free African colonies from European powers. W.E.B Du Bois died on august 27, 1963 which was one day before MLK did his I Have a Dream Speech at the march on washington Du Bois was 95 years old when he died.