Posted by 5Shelbie on September 27, 2009 at 11:35pm
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was an African American who had a small impact on history during the times of discrimination and segregation. He was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts on Feb. 23, 1868. When he was born he was one of the 25 black men in his hometown of 5,000. As a kid and as he grew up he didn't necessarily know just how bad racism was. As a teenager DuBois was very, very intelligent and naturally gifted intellectually. After graduating high school, his dreams of attending Harvard weren't possible because of no financial support. He ended up attending Fisk College in Nashville, Tennessee.While DuBois was in Nashville he came across more discrimation than he ever though possible. While DuBois was attending Fisk he taught at a school for two summers. He learned more about his people. He noticed their want for knowledge and eagerness to learn. DuBois' dream of attending Harvard came true when he graduated from Fisk and got into Harvard on scholarship. There he studied philosophy, focused on history. He started leaning more towards economics and social problems though. In 1890 he got his bachelors degree and started working towards his masters and doctors degree. He reached his goal and got his masters in 1891.DuBois became a teaher after all of his education in college. Later he accepted special job at the University of Pennsylvania to do a research project in Philadelphia's slums(or what we now call ghetto). He got to see first hand the social system of blacks. As DuBois life went on he accepted other jobs whose obligation was to study blacks. DuBois had one incident where his friend interrupted Washington, an African American educator, during a speech. His friend got arrested and DuBois got the wrath of it. This lead DuBois to start the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People(NAACP). The NAACP is the oldest Civil Rights organization in America. Its purpose was to abolish descrimination and support civil justice. DuBois died in 1963, he had written 17 books and played a key role in America's history by reuniting black-white relationships.
Comments