William Edward Burghardt Du bois  was born on Feb. 23, 1868 in Great Barrington, MA. He was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activists, Pan Africanist, professor, founder of the NCAAP (National Association of the Advancement of Colored People) writer and editor.

In 1884, when he graduated from high school he was the valedictorian. He received his bachelor of arts from Fisk University in Nashville, TN in 1888. During those summers he taught in African American schools in rural areas of Tennessee.

As well, he got his Masters of Arts.  He entered Harvard University as a junior in 1888 and in 1895 he received his doctorate from Harvard. Then he went on to do graduate studies of history and economics at the University of Berlin.

For two years he was a professor at Wilberforce University in Greek and Latin.

He fought through discrimination due to the fact that he was African-American. He also wrote a dissertation of The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America, 1638-1870 and was published as  number one in the Harvard History Series.