DuBois Appeal to the World - Essay Example

American people pay homage to the distinguished leader Dr. Martin Luther King in the journey of freeing the nation from an evil social phenomenon – racism. Though, Dr. King played a vital role, but there were many other leaders who took part in the journey to free the American society from racism. One of the prominent leaders was Dr. W.E.B. DuBois. Martin Luthar King, Jr., described DuBois as a tireless explorer and discoverer of social truth. Green and Driver refer (“Du Bois, W. E. B. 1868–1963”) DuBois as a prominent sociologist who studied race relation of the black community in the United States.

DuBois devoted his life studying relations among race, society and economics. This article discusses about Dr. DuBois life and his contribution to free the American society from racism. Biography William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (“WEB DuBois: Sociologist, Philosopher, Black Leader “) was born on February 23, 1968 in Great Barrington, Massachusettes. In 1884, he graduated from high school as valedictorian. In 1888, he graduated in Bachelor in Arts from a black institution, Frisk University, located at Nashville, Tennessee.

In the same year, he entered Harvard University and in 1890 graduated with Bachelor of Arts with cum laude. At the University of Berlin, from 1892 to 1894, he pursued graduate study in history and economics. He was the first black American to earn a Ph.D. degree in 1895 from the Harvard University. In 1896, he, married (Hurst) Nina Gomer, and they had two children. He worked as an assistant instructor in sociology at the University of Pennsylvania during 1896 to 1897. He taught sociology during 1898 to 1910 at Atlanta University in Georgia.

From 1910 to 1934, DuBois served in the organization National Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as a member of the board of directors, director of publicity and research, and the editor of its monthly magazine Crisis. During 1934 to 1944, DuBois spearheaded the department of sociology at Atlanta University. At the end of his career at Atlanta University in 1944, he returned to the NAACP, where he served as director of research until 1948. In 1961, DuBois immigrated to Ghana and became a citizen of that country.

He died in Ghana on August 27, 1963. Historical time period during DuBois life DuBois life during 1868 to 1963 coincides with the time when colonialism (“Colonialism 19th and 20th Century”) of white people spread in Asia and Africa and racism in America. During this period, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, and Belgium controlled much of the African continent, while the Dutch, British, French and others controlled Asian region. Socioeconomic philosophy of that time all over the world revolved around white supremacy.

In the same year when DuBois was born, 14 amendment in the USA was ratified which granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves. In 1892, Homer Plessy, a 30-year-old shoemaker was jailed (“Plessy v. Ferguson”) in Homer Adolph Plessy v. The State of Louisiana case, for sitting in the white car of the East Louisiana Railroad. Plessy argued in the court that Separate Car Act violated the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution.

In 1896, US Supreme court heard the Plessy case where he found guilty again. This case gave rise to the doctrine “separate but equal” which was extended (“