Few men have influenced the lives of African-Americans as much as William Edward Burghardt DuBois. He was a scholar, activist, writer, and an international diplomat. During his time, he was at least involved in if not in the forefront of every movement advocating equal rights for African Americans. DuBois inspired the creation of numerous organizations and periodicals. Dubois dedicated a part of himself to numerous worthy causes, but that same generosity had a detrimental effect on the outcome of his efforts. As a result of distributing his efforts amongst many worthy causes, DuBois rarely followed his individual dreams to complete fruition. Although DuBois may not have taken every step he could, he went farther than many people will ever go to better the lives of their people. DuBois made monumental contributions to history, politics, and to lives of African Americans that have been paralleled by few and eclipsed by none.
             In his work, The Souls of Black Folk, DuBois described the life and problems that black people in America faced. He had a very different plan in the struggle for black equality and for the abolishment of racism. Some leaders spoke of a "separate black nation" while others wanted blacks to simply stay submissive. DuBois believed that assimilation was not the best means of treating discrimination against blacks. "Work, culture, liberty, - all these we need, not singly but together, not successively but together, each growing and aiding each... in order that some day on American soil two world-races may give each to each those characteristics both so sadly lack" (DuBois 220). Education was a key to a diverse and cultural society. Being a well-respected intellectual and leader, he worked to reach goals of education and peaceful resolutions between the races and classes.
             "The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line, - the relation of the darker to the lighter races of men i...