Biography Of William Edward Burghart Dubois Essay

Intro/Education/Work: William Edward Burghart DuBois, more commonly known as W.E.B. DuBois, was born February 23, 1868. Raised in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, he grew up in what was considered to be a moderately well integrated and tolerant community. His mother’s family was included in the miniscule population of free black people— because of this, he was certainly considered privileged as opposed to people of color who were much less fortunate or who lived in highly segregated communities. DuBois attended the town’s local public school, both elementary and high school levels, and excelled. His teachers recognized his abilities and often encouraged him in his academic pursuits. DuBois graduated at the top of his class in 1884, and he was determined to attend college as well. DuBois was set on attending Harvard, however, he didn’t have the funds available to do so. With receiving donations of twenty five dollars a year from from four different congrega tional churches in his hometown of Great Barrington, DuBois was able to attend Fisk University instead. Fisk University is a historically black college, located in Nashville, Tennessee. DuBois attended Fisk from 1885 to 1888. Having traveled south to attend Fisk, DuBois had his first experience with southern racism, which, at that time, included lynchings and intense bigotry, and many states in the south were governed by Jim Crow laws. During the summer, he taught in community schools and learned more