William Edward Burghardt "W. E. B." Du Bois: A Biography
William Edward Burghardt "W. E. B." Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868. He was born and grew up in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. His parents were Alfred and Mary Silvina Du Bois. Her mother’s family lived among the small, free black community in Great Barrington. Her mother descended from English, African, and Dutch ancestors. William’s paternal great-grandfather was a French-American named James Du Bois who fathered different offspring with some slave mistresses. Alexander was one of the many mixed-race sons of James. When Alexander went to ...
