April 27

W.E.B Du Bois 

One of America's most monumental literary works of African Americans "The Souls of Black Folks" was published by W.E.B Du Bois on April 27, 1903.

W.E.B. Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Du Bois was a historian, civil rights activist, sociologist, author, editor and Pan-Africanist.  In 1909 he was also one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).  On February 12, 1909 in response to a race riot in Springfield, Illinois and the horrific acts that were being done against African Americans, a little over 50 white liberals and 7 African Americans met to discuss the racial crisis. Out of this meeting came the existence of the NAACP.  Some of the African Americans in attendance were W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrell.  Among the white liberals at the meeting were Mary White Ovington and Oswald Garrison Villard, The organization continued the focus of the Niagara Movement which was the precursor to  (NAACP).