W.E.B. Du Bois

W.E.B Du Bois was born in Massachusetts and was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard University.

He believed that blacks had unlimited potential and should stand up for their rights. He believed they were victims of prejudice. W.E.B. Du Bois’s followers wanted free speech, access to the best possible education and automatic equality.

He appealed to his race’s intellectual elite, a group he defined as the “Talented Tenth.” These were blacks with sufficient ability and education to be leaders.

 Article courtesy of the Buffalo Historical Society