W. E. B. DuBois – A Gift for Words
William E. B. DuBois
1868 – 1963
birthplace — Great Barrington, MA
“A Gift for Words”
On Tuesday, August 27, 1963, as thousands of people were planning to march on Washington, D. C., W. E. B. DuBois died. Some people cried when they heard the news. The great black leader, who had been living in Ghana, West Africa, would be missed.
William was a talented man who was respected throughout the world. He was a a scholar, writer, sociologist, philosopher, and leader.
William spent his entire life working for justice and equal rights for black people. He helped organize the National Association for the Advancement for Colored People (NAACP) in 1909. This great civil rights organization has lead the fight for black equality for over 75 years. William worked as editor of “Crisis,” the NAACP magazine. He wrote more than 20 books. “Souls of Black Folks” is the best known.
Many people have been involved in the struggle to make a better America. But no one was more outspoken than William. He supported the fight for black rights in Africa and throughout the world, and he was a leader of the peace movement. Not everyone accepted his ideas. He was attacked by those who disagreed with him. After years of struggle, he moved to Ghana.
On August 28, the historic March on Washington was held. The man with “a gift for words” would have been proud.
Categories: Black Heroes Tags: ghana, leader, march on washington, maryland, naacp, philosopher, scholar, washing dc, web dubois, west africa, writer
Benjamin Banneker – The Stargazer
Benjamin Banneker
1731-1806
birthplace – Endicott, Maryland
“The Stargazer”
The young man was amazed by the number of stars that appeared in the clear, moonlight sky. ”i’ve never seen so many stars before,” he thought. He lay on the ground and began to count them.
This is how Benjamin Banneker spent many of his nights. Neighbors called him “the stargazer.”
When Benjamin left school to help on his father’s farm, the world became his classroom. He studied the weather, animal life, the stars — everything he could. He read all the books that were available to him. By the time he was 20, Benjamin could answer the most difficult questions in mathematics, science, and philosophy.
In 1761, he carved a wooden cloth by hand, using only two models — a pocket watch and an old picture of a clock. It is said that the clock kept nearly perfect time for 50 years.
Benjamin was the first black person to receive a presidential appointment. In 1791, George Washington named him to the commission that laid out the city of Washington, D. C.
Although Benjamin had never been a slave, he spoke out against the system that held his people in bondage. The young man who studied the stars became an astronomer. But he was also a mathematician, inventor, serveyor, philosopher, and abolitionist.
Categories: Black Heroes Tags: abolitionist, astronmer, benjamin banneker, endicott, george washington, inventor, maryland, mathematician, philosopher, stargazer, surveyor, washington d.c.
