Quick Facts

• Born on February 23 1868
• First Black Person to earn a PhD from Harvard
• Had a brief correspondence with Ambedkar
• Died on August 27 1963

Life and Work

A pioneering scholoar, sociologist, and civil rights activist W.E.B Du Bois was constantly fighting for racial equality in the United States. From directing the NAACP to earning his PhD from Harvard, Du Bois attempted in every way imaginable to advance the cause of those who found themselves discriminated against in post-war America. Eventually he composed a collection of essays titled "The Souls of Black Folk" which provides a clear picture on the complexities of African American identity as well as the socio-economic conditions they experience due to the enduring racism found in the United States.

Selected Work by Author

The Souls of Black Folk (1903)

Selected Quote from the Work

"The South believed an educated Negro to be a dangerous Negro. And the South was not wholly wrong; for education among all kinds of men always has had, and always will have, an element of danger and revolution, of dissatisfaction and discontent. Nevertheless, men strive to know."

Referenced Sources

Seminar Slides on Du Bois

“W. E. B. Du Bois.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Mar. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._E._B._Du_Bois.