Every story needs a hero, W.E.B Du Bois would be just that for the Harlem Renaissance. A man of great intelligence, he realized the inequality of his own race very early on in life. He pushed through the heckling and difficulties to become a Harvard grad with a PhD in history. How appropriate that this hero be armed with an education and better yet, one that would allow him to help guide and protect his people. History, after all, repeats itself, but he was sure to stop that dead in its tracks. This hero took only the high road. He would never harm physically, but he always had his way with people through the justice system, not hesitating to send one of his fellow classmates off to jail for verbally assaulting him during a rally. This exact incident lead to the "Niagara Movement", which was meant to seize discrimination, but negative public accusations only allotted it a short life. Soon the NAACP would be started from many of these same men, including Du Bois,who was not totally in favor of the group. As the editor in chief for this group his opinions became well known. His hype caused the government to make such changes as inaugurating the opening of Black officer training schools, bringing forth legal action against lynchers and setting up a federal work plan for returning veterans. He promoted the skills of other African American writers, proving their worth to the world and giving role-models to all of the blacks who had previously succumbed to what society told them they were. He would go on to write two books an eventually leave the NAACP to teach at Atlanta University. Conflicts with the US government ended Du Bois' patients and caused him to renounce his citizenship and move to Ghana to live in peace.
http://www.duboislc.org/html/DuBoisBio.html
http://www.biography.com/articles/W.E.B.-Du-Bois-9279924
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