W.E.B. Du Bois

Page by: Danae' Monroe

Learning Targets

Students will be able to...

-Explain at least 2 ways W.E.B. practiced advocacy

-List the academic institutions W.E.B. Du Bois attended

-Explain what the "Talented Tenth" is

Imagine you're a teacher in the 1900's and you find out your colleagues are receiving higher pay due to race.

Unfortunately this was the case for lots of African America teachers back then and Du Bois did not agree with this. Du Bois used his platform within the NAACP to advocate for equal pay and equal education by backing court cases and other legal matters. One in particular is Alston v. School Board of City of Norfolk, a case involving unfair pay for African American teachers in 1940 (Breakthrough Collaborative, 2024). He also wrote numerous works such as The Talented Tenth, The Conservation of Races and The Souls of Black Folk which all shared his thoughts on race, education and equality (Glascoe, 2016).

To the left is a newspaper clip regarding the Alston v. School Board of City of Norfolk court case.

Wait! Who is W.E.B. Du Bois?

-Born on February 23, 1868

-Advocate for equal education for African Americans

-Founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

-Author of The Talented Tenth, The Conservation of Races and The Souls of Black Folk

Pictured to the left is W.E.B. Du Bois.

Reference: Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Talented Tenth. In Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Talented-Tenth

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Wrap Up

It’s important for students and educators to learn about W.E.B. Du Bois in order shine a light on those who advocated for education and remind us to be grateful for the educational rights and freedoms we have today (Glascoe, 2016). For students, Du Bois is a great example of what advocacy can look like—not only for education but for social justice and racial inequality too (Distant, 1992). For educators, Du Bois serves as a reminder to provide equal opportunities to all students that nurture their leadership and critical thinking skills.

Knowledge Check

1. Which of the following is an academic institution W.E.B. Du Bois attended?

a. Bowie State University

b. Fisk University

c. Howard University

d. Old Dominion University

2. Which of the following examples closely aligns with W.E.B. Du Bois's advocacy methods?

a. Fundraising for under-funded schools

b. Organizing a school supply drive

c. Protesting

d. Writing essays and articles

Correct Answers

1.b 2.d

Reference List

Breakthrough Collaborative. (2024, April 2). The road to equal educator pay: Alston v. School Board of Norfolk (1940).https://breakthroughcollaborative.org/blog-alston-v-school-board-of-norfolk-1940/

Distant, V. R. (1992). W.E.B. Du Bois: On the importance of education [Independent study, Bank Street College of Education]. Bank Street College of Education. https://educate.bankstreet.edu/independent-studies/392

Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Talented Tenth. In Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Talented-Tenth

Glascoe, M. (2016). W.E.B. Du Bois: His evolving theory of education. In R. Rabaka (Ed.), W.E.B. Du Bois (pp. 431–447). Routledge.

National Women’s History Museum. (n.d.). W.E.B. Du Bois. In History of U.S. Woman’s Suffrage. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from https://www.crusadeforthevote.org/du-bois

PBS. (n.d.). Fisk University [American Experience]. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/singers-fisk-university/

Sloan, E. F. (2003). W.E.B. Du Bois’s “Talented Tenth”: A pioneering conception of transformational leadership(Doctoral dissertation, University of San Diego). University of San Diego.

Virginia Museum of History & Culture. (n.d.). W.E.B. Du Bois and the NAACP. https://virginiahistory.org/learn/civil-rights-movement-virginia/w-e-b-du-bois-and-naacp

How I Used AI

In completing this assignment, I used ChatGPT in numerous ways. I had difficulty creating an application question so I asked Chat to provide me with examples to give me a better understanding of what my question should look like. I also asked Chat to assist me in completing my reference list in order to ensure my citations are correct.

I believe AI assisted me in a positive way as it helped me to complete two of the rubric requirements. Instead of having to struggle in completing citations and having uncertainty, Chat relieved this feeling and made the process smoother.

As for my own regular use of AI, I believe I have enough self discipline to not over use it. I'll admit I do use AI to assist me when writing papers, but only to get the ideas flowing, never to write the paper for me. I think AI is a quick way to get help but can do more harm than good when used too frequently.

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