How Did W. E. B. Dubois Impact The Civil Rights Movement

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W.E.B. Du Bois had an incredible impact on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and through the 1960s. His novel The Souls of Black Folk was the main contributor to his effect. During his time, African Americans were fighting for equal rights as citizens. Eventually, Du Bois became a significant leader amongst the African Americans. He was able to contribute to this campaign by voicing his opinion and speaking for the African Americans through his book. His words were written to explain the African Americans side of the story. The main purpose of Du Bois’ work was to allow the whites to step into the shoes of African Americans and come to the realization of the suffrage they have gone through in the pass. The Souls of Black Folk revealed that the African Americans deserved the freedom from segregation.…show more content…
Du Bois believed he could contribute to this process by educating the White Americans on the cruelty and struggles that African Americans suffered through. It was difficult adjusting from not being valued as citizens to obtaining equal rights to those of the whites. In Du Bois’ novel, he defines “color line”, a distinguished line that separated the privileged white Americans from the unfortunate folks of color. The African Americans were just hesitant to cross the line. “The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line” (Du Bois 10). This line displayed America’s racial outlook on society. The white and rich were considered on top, while the poor and colored were settling on the bottom. The White Americans were able to grasps the concepts Du Bois describe in The Souls of the Black Folk. They knew Du Bois was right, but they just need someone to say it for them to realize the

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