W. E. B. DuBois: The neglected American sociologist. A study in race-biased exclusion from the academy

W.E.B. Du Bois fits the profile of an outsider insider. He tirelessly probed sociological problems yet could never collaborate with his celebrated white colleagues. He was the first American to incorporate empirical science into his sociology yet was basically ignored by the American pioneers. The caliber and volume of his work from 1896--1915 surpassed that of many of his peers at more elite universities, yet he was perpetually ignored. His seminal work, the Philadelphia Negro, provided a realistic look of US. Negro urban life. He eradicated the belief Negroes were immoral and inherently inferior to whites; he proved slavery had a devastating effect on blacks; he insisted white racist behavior was the protracted debilitating force that prohibited the Negro from gaining the tools, rights and privileges to fully participate in the experiment called democracy.;From the treatment suffered by Du Bois, it is clear that regardless of his credentials, he did not measure up to the US insider ideal. After reviewing secondary materials, from The Avery Research Center, Amherst, The Citadel, Library of Congress, and the College of Charleston, I found evidence to support the marginalization Du Bois suffered. I traveled to Atlanta University and studied Du Bois's primary sources (his personal papers, and statements, letters written about him by his supervisors, students and contemporaries). I reviewed films, scholarly journals, and other data banks; attended lectures, and read materials about Du Bois as scholar from history to sociology. I analyzed plays written on the personal and academic life of Du Bois. I reviewed and analyzed transcripts from the Virtual Reality University on Du Bois' contribution to social sciences, and attended lectures on Du Bois commitment to education and political life of people of color. The work of Du Bois makes clear that scholars were not meant to sit in the ivory tower and speculate about what is wrong with folks without challenging the status quo of society. To Du Bois, education was not only responsible for teaching employable skills; it had a responsibility to teach skills needed for effective citizenship.