Born On This Day ~ February 23 ~ W.E.B. DuBois

Born: February 23, 1868 (Great Barrington, Massachusetts)
Died: August 27, 1963 (Accra, Ghana)

Famous For/Known For:
Leading African American activist of the 20th century

A Little About W.E.B. DuBois:
Born William Edward Burghandt DuBois. His father died soon after his birth.

Growing up in a mostly European American town he considered himself mulatto and attended schools that were predominately white. His teachers, who were white, were very supportive of his academic studies.

From 1885-1888 DuBois attended Fisk University. It was here that he began to think through the issues of American racism.

In 1895 DuBois graduated from Harvard University with a PH D. He was the first African-American to do so. He continued his education at Friedrich Wilhelms-Universitat, now known as Humboldt-Universitat.

In 1909 DuBois co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and served as editor for their monthly magazine, The Crisis.

In 1951 DuBois was brought before a grand jury for refusing to comply with the Foreign Agents Registration Act while he was a chair person for the Peace Information Center. He was acquitted. After this many of his colleagues would have nothing to do with him and federal agencies would harass him.

While a professor at Atlanta University DeBois had a public dispute with Booker T. Washington over his Atlanta Compromise. Washington’s agreement claimed that vocational education for blacks was more beneficial to them than higher education or political office. DuBois criticized Washington for not standing behind the 14th amendment and demand equality for all African Americans.

In 1961 DeBois traveled to Ghana to gather details on the African community for the Encyclopedia Africana.

DuBois wrote several books throughout his life such as, The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study and The Souls of Black Folk.

W.E.B. DuBois died at the age of 95.

Books About/Written By W.E.B.Dubois: