William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was a pioneering African American intellectual and civil rights activist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was the first African American to earn a PhD from Harvard University. He co-founded the NAACP in 1909 and advocated for racial equality and African American advancement through education and political activism. Du Bois possessed leadership qualities like intelligence, honesty, integrity, self-confidence, and motivation that inspired civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. He believed that educated, talented African Americans could rise as leaders and help their communities gain prominence through his concept of "The Talented Tenth." Du Bois would continue to inspire as a leader today with his ideas, intelligence