What was a key belief of W.E.B. Du Bois?

W.E.B. Du Bois was a pivotal figure in the African American struggle for civil rights during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A key belief of Du Bois was the urgent need for immediate and full equality for African Americans. He argued that waiting for gradual change was insufficient and that African Americans should demand their rights and freedoms at once.

Du Bois co-founded the NAACP and was instrumental in advocating legal and political action as a means to achieve civil rights. He rejected the idea that education or vocational training alone would suffice to uplift the Black community; instead, he emphasized the importance of political rights and higher education. This stands in contrast to the philosophy of gradualism that some contemporaries supported, which suggested that African Americans should accept limited rights and gradually work towards full equality over time.

By advocating for immediate equality, Du Bois’s vision was rooted in the belief that African Americans deserved the same civil rights as all other citizens without delay, setting a foundation for the ongoing struggles that would continue throughout the 20th century and beyond.