W.E.B. DuBois

Next up in the continuing series on African-American Anthropologists for Black History Month: W.E.B. DuBois.

Technically, DuBois was not an anthropologist (his PhD was in sociology, from Harvard), but he was one of the most profound intellectuals of his time. His world-view was anthropological, as one of the earliest academic voices speaking out against the pseudoscience of race, and recognizing the importance of culture and systems of oppression in the structure of the United States and the world. DuBois was an influence on -- and was influenced by -- Frans Boas, the founder of American anthropology. Their collaboration and mutual respect lead to profound changes in how Anthropologists and Sociologists understood race and ethnicity.