WEB Du Bois grew up in Massachusetts and experienced very little racism in his childhood. He became the first African American to earn his doctorate and later co-founded the NAACP in 1909. Du Bois played an integral role in the civil rights movement. He protested against lynchings, Jim Crow Laws, and discrimination in education and employment.
Du Bois and Journalism
In the early 1900s, American journalism virtually ignored African Americans. Eventually, the "American negro" became a symbol of democracy gone wrong, crime, and various monstrous acts. Du Bois had to overcome these racist stereotypes in order to make a difference as a journalist and civil rights leader. In 1906, when riots broke out in Atlanta and 25 blacks were killed, WEB Du Bois wrote articles/essays that influenced African Americans throughout the country. He urged them to no longer support the Republican Party because he did not agree with the actions of Republican politicians Teddy Roosevelt and William Howard Taft.
Lasting Effect
Du Bois was an effective leader and had a large influence on black culture in the early 1900s. He expressed his opinions through journalism so that his ideas could reach the masses. He was an activist for peace and civil rights, and his actions and writings affected generations of Americans.
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