Black History Month is a celebration that occurs every year in February. This month honors the achievements of the African Americans’ roles in history. Black History Month became an official holiday in 1979. The Sting is putting together a series that highlights black voices from the past.

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, better known as W.E.B Du Bois, was born on February 23, 1868. He was an American civil rights activist, leader, sociologist, educator, historian, writer, editor, poet, and scholar. 

One of the first things Du Bois can be credited for being a founder and general secretary of the Niagara Movement, which was an African American protest group of scholars and professors. However, what Du Bois is most famous for is being one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the NAACP. For four years, serves as director of publicity and research, a member of the board of directors, and founder and editor of The Crisis, which was the NAACP’s monthly magazine.

Taken from NAACP.org, they report that “Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.” The NAACP played a huge role in history for helping many African Americans in America. That makes Du Bois an important player in advancing rights for many Americans. Under the leadership of Du Bois, James Weldon Johnson, Walter White, Thurgood Marshall, and others, the NAACP made racial injustices noticed and initiated lawsuits to secure equal treatment for Black Americans in education, employment, housing, and public accommodations. Without the help of W.E.B Du Bois, African American rights would not have been the same and the NAACP would have not helped so many people.