W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963), also known as William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, was a prolific writer, scholar and civil rights activist. He was born in Massachusetts to a family of mixed African and European ancestry. Du Bois attended an integrated primary school before enrolling in Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He was encouraged to pursue higher education, which inspired him to empower other Black people. Du Bois' storied legacy includes becoming the first African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard University, as well as co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).