William Edward Burghardt "W. E. B." Du Bois ( ; February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was an very respected American-Ghanaian sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, and editor. He was the leader of a group of African-American activists who wanted equal rights for blacks. Du Bois and his supporters opposed the Atlanta Compromise by Booker T. Washington.