About the W.E.B. Du Bois Scholars Institute "It is the trained, living human soul, cultivated and strengthened by long study and thought, that breathes the real breath of life into boys and girls and makes them human." -W.E.B. Du Bois

Why name the Institute in honor of W.E.B. Du Bois?

W.E.B. Du Bois, a renowned sociologist, philosopher, historian, activist, scholar, author, and public intellectual, was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1868. Throughout his life, Du Bois challenged barriers to equality and debated the course of freedom for African Americans. As co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, People (NAACP), Dr. Du Bois was committed to scholarship and the development of leaders among African Americans. He argued that the most effective leadership will come from the best trained minds. Therefore, African Americans must focus on and educate its “talented tenth” to maximize its potential for political, social and economic success. In keeping with Dr. Du Bois’ teachings, especially his idea of the “The Talented Tenth,” the W.E.B. Du Bois Scholars Institute was founded and named in his honor with an aim to recruit and groom high-achieving African American and Latino American youth who have demonstrated an ability to lead and achieve, both in and out of school settings. The Institute is designed to develop leaders with a sense of community purpose who will assume key roles in restoring impoverished communities. Surely, a central part of training in the Institute is instilling in participants a sense of duty to give back to help people in need.