William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (W.E.B Du Bois for short), was an American born sociologist and civil rights activist. He also was a historian as well as an author. William was born in Great Barrington Massachusetts on February 23, 1868. He went on to get his degree from Harvard University. He is known for his many civil rights books such as The Souls of Black Folk, Black Reconstruction, and The Talented Tenth. Du Bois advocated for the black civil rights and was a great ally to them. Du Bois eventually passed away at the age of 96 in Accra, Ghana.