W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963) was an American sociologist, historian, and writer, and one of the most influential intellectuals of the twentieth century. A pioneering thinker on race, inequality, and modernity, he was among the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In his groundbreaking book The Souls of Black Folk, Du Bois introduced key concepts such as “double consciousness” to describe the experience of African Americans in a racially divided society. Throughout his career he wrote essays, sociological studies, and literary works that examined the history and conditions of Black life in the United States. His writing combined scholarship with moral and political critique, making him one of the foundational voices in the study of race and modern social thought.