William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868-1963), African American scholar, protest leader, and an advocate of pan-Africanism, was born on February 23, 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where he grew up. During his youth he did some newspaper reporting. In 1884, he graduated as valedictorian from high school. He got his bachelor of arts from Fisk University in 1888, having spent summers teaching in African American schools in Nashville's rural areas. In 1888 he entered Harvard University as a junior, took a bachelor of arts cum laude in 1890, and was one of six commencement speakers. From 1892 to 1894 he pursued graduate studies in history and economics at the University of Berlin. He served for two years as professor of Greek and Latin at Wilberforce University. In 1891 Du Bois earned his master of arts and in 1895 his doctorate in history from Harvard. In 1896 he married Nina Gomer, and they had two children.

In 1896-1897, Du Bois...