W.E.B DuBois and the Niagara Movement
The Civil Rights Movement is one of the most important epochs in American history when African-Americans united to protect their rights and fought against racism and segregation in the 1950s-1960s. This movement is usually associated with Martin Luther King leadership, Rosa Parks and Montgomery Bus Boycott, Malcolm X’s radical position. Without any doubt, the role of W.E.B Du Bois and his formation, Niagara Movement was quite important, he became an example for many Afro-Americans and inspired the whole black community to fight against racism, receive education, and protect their rights.
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born in 1868 and made a journey from a child born in the mixed family to one of the leaders of black community and initiator of equal rights for blacks in the United States. He became one of the most important black intellectual, sociologist, historian, and political activist. His legacy is invaluable and well-respected by every Afro-American. To understand the nature of such respect, it is important to examine main of his ideas and innovations.
In the history of civil rights movement, W.E.B. Du Bois is usually compared to another leader of Afro-Americans Booker T. Washington. While Washington was quite cautious in his ideas and vision of Afro-Americans future, Du Bois believed that only massive and radical social protests could change the situation. Du Bois was not afraid of white community opposition because he came from free black family and even became the first Afro-American with the doctorate degree. He believed that every Afro-American should be able to receive the higher education at same circumstances as white people (Van Vechten and Byrd, 1993.p.4). Either, W.E.B. Du Bois found that talented Afro-Americans youth with higher education could force the huge development of the whole country and black society.
To unite with his supporters and co-operate with other Afro-American and civil rights movement activists, Du Bois founded several organizations. In 1909 Du Bois and other activists founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to ensure the political, social, educational, and economic equality of rights black people and to eliminate racial discrimination and segregation. With the success of NAACP organization, a lot of people forgets its predecessor and background.
In 1905, W.E.B. Du Bois and his associates founded the organization, nowadays known as Niagara Movement to protect the civil rights of Afro-Americans. This organization is considered to be the predecessor of NAACP. The Declaration of Principles is known as a historical document that regulated the policy of Niagara Movement. According to this Declaration, the main goal of this organization in the unification of all black Americans and protection of their constitutional rights. They believed that Afro-Americans should protest against the curtailment of their political and civil rights. They targeted to provide Afro-Americans all available support in their desire to receive higher education, to assist the black community in courts, and to move public opinion toward to black people. Additionally, Niagara Movement planned to provide …
