W.E.B. Du Bois
W.E.B. Du Bois
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He is often referred to by his initials, "W.E.B." or simply as "Du Bois."
Birth and Death Dates
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Born: February 23, 1868
Died: August 27, 1963
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Du Bois was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, writer, and a key figure in the development of Pan-Africanism. Throughout his life, he held various professions including:
Scholar: Professor at Atlanta University (1897-1910) and professor emeritus at Fisk University
Journalist: Co-founder and editor-in-chief of _The Crisis_ magazine (1910-1934)
Author: Published numerous books, essays, and articles on topics such as sociology, history, literature, and politicsEarly Life and Background
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Du Bois was born to Mary Silvina Burghardt Du Bois, a former slave, and Alfred Du Bois, a sailor from the island of Guadeloupe. His family moved to Great Barrington when he was young, where he grew up surrounded by abolitionist ideas. He attended Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, before transferring to Harvard University, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in 1890 and Master's degree in 1891.
Major Accomplishments
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Du Bois made significant contributions to various fields:
Sociology: Published _The Philadelphia Negro_ (1899), a groundbreaking study on urban sociology
Civil Rights: Founded the Niagara Movement (1905) and the NAACP (1910)
Pan-Africanism: Organized the Pan-African Congress (Paris, 1911; London, 1921; Lisbon, 1936; and Manchester, 1945)
Literature: Published _The Souls of Black Folk_ (1903), a classic work on African American culture and identityNotable Works or Actions
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Some notable works include:
_The Philadelphia Negro_ (1899): A sociological study on the urban conditions faced by African Americans in Philadelphia
_The Souls of Black Folk_ (1903): A collection of essays exploring the history, culture, and experiences of African Americans
_Dusk of Dawn_ (1940): An autobiography that spans from his childhood to World War I
Impact and Legacy
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W.E.B. Du Bois's work had a profound impact on American society:
Civil Rights Movement: His contributions helped shape the movement, particularly with the founding of the NAACP
Pan-Africanism: He was instrumental in promoting Pan-African unity and cooperation among African nations
Social Sciences: _The Philadelphia Negro_ laid the groundwork for urban sociology studiesWhy They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Du Bois is widely quoted and remembered due to his:
Visionary ideas: He was a pioneer in advocating for civil rights, Pan-Africanism, and social justice
Writing style: His work was not only informative but also eloquent and accessible to a broad audience
Impact on society: His contributions have had lasting effects on American history, politics, and culture
Quotes by W.E.B. Du Bois
W.E.B. Du Bois's insights on:
The most important thing to remember is this: to be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become.
One ever feels his two-ness – an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.
The white economic and political elite often failed to recognize blacks as American, just as blacks often failed to recognize their potential for advancement outside of the limited opportunities afforded them by whites.
Behold little Belgium and her pitiable plight, but has the world forgotten Congo? What Belgium now suffers is not half, not even a tenth, of what she has done to black Congo since Stanley's great dream of 1880. Down the dark forests of inmost Africa sailed this modern Sir Galahad, in the name of "the noble-minded men of several nations," to introduce commerce and civilization. What came of it? "Rubber and murder, slavery in its worst form," wrote Glave in 1895.
I sit with Shakespeare and he winces not. Across the color-line I move arm in arm with Balzac and Dumas, where smiling men and welcoming women glide in gilded halls. From out the caves of the evening that swing between the strong-limbed earth and the tracery of the stars, I summon Aristotle and Aurelius... and they come all graciously with no scorn nor condescension. So, wed with Truth, I dwell above the Veil.
Thus all art is propaganda and ever must be, despite the wailing of the purists. I stand in utter shamelessness and say that whatever art I have for writing has been used always for propaganda for gaining the right of black folk to love and enjoy. I do not care a damn for any art that is not used for propaganda. But I do care when propaganda is confined to one side while the other is stripped and silent.
The World War was primarily the jealous and avaricious struggle for the largest share in exploiting darker races.
To-day the two groups of Negroes, the one in the North, the other in the South, represent these divergent ethical tendencies, the first tending toward radicalism, the other toward hypocritical compromise.
In a world where it means so much to take a man by the hand and sit beside him, to look frankly into his eyes and feel his heart beating with red blood; in a world where a social cigar or a cup of tea together means more than legislative halls and magazine articles and speeches,—one can imagine the consequences of the almost utter absence of such social amenities between estranged races, whose separation extends even to parks and streetcars.
High in the tower, where I sit above the loud complaining of the human sea, I know many souls that toss and whirl and pass, but none there are that intrigue me more than the Souls of White Folk.