This Day in Black History: July 11, 1905

W.E.B. Du Bois founded the Niagara Movement.
By Joyce Jones
Posted: 07/11/2012 07:00 AM EDT
Filed Under This Day in Black History, National News, W.E.B. Du Bois, NAACP

W.E.B. Du Bois

Responding to the frustration felt some African-American activists and intellectual elites over what they viewed to be a policy of appeasement adopted by Tuskegee Institute founder Booker T. Washington when dealing with whites, then-Atlanta University professor W.E.B. Du Bois on July 11, 1905, founded the Niagara Movement to aggressively petition for civil rights for African-Americans. Joined by journalist William Monroe Trotter, Du Bois gathered a group of more than 50 African-American men on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, after which the movement was named. They were forced to cross the border after a white hotel proprietor refused them lodging. The movement developed a Declaration of Principles that served as a manifesto for its fight for "every single right that belongs to a freeborn American, political, civil and social; and until we get these rights we will never cease to protest and assail the ears of America," Du Bois explained in a speech that day. The group disbanded in 1911 because of limited resources and clashes over its agenda, leading Du Bois to later co-found the NAACP.

BET National News - Keep up to date with breaking news stories from around the nation, including headlines from the hip hop and entertainment world. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Videos You May Like

(Photo: Keystone/Getty Images)

Comments

Trends
Wendy Raquel Robinson •Season 6 •Tasha Mack •The Game •Oliver Lewis •Sports News •Kentucky Derby •Eve •Rihanna •Photos •Alicia Keys •Solange Knowles •Red Carpet •Fashion and Beauty •Zoe Saldana •Michelle Williams •Kerry Washington •Iman •Allen West •Scott Brown •Politics News •Fox News •Dennis Kucinich •Jaden Smith •Terrence J •Mariah Carey •Steve Harvey •Jordin Sparks •Drake •Kendrick Lamar •

Money Monday: 6 Summer Vacation Money Tips

Strategies for finding savings on your summer trips. 05/20/2013

Racial Tolerance Around the World

See how hospitable these nations are to newcomers. 05/17/2013

10 Calorie-Cutting Tips to Try

Healthy eating tips to help you slim down for summer. 05/17/2013

Out and About: Mariah Carey On Stage at American Idol Season Finale

Plus pics of Kim K., Amber Rose, Drake and more. 05/17/2013

Dirty Laundry: Scandalous Details Artists Reveal in Songs

Kelly Rowland is just the latest musician to air things out. 05/15/2013

Brainiacs: Celebs Who Attended Ivy League Schools

Who walked the halls of Harvard, Princeton and Yale? 05/16/2013

SEARCH

© 2013 BET Interactive, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Black Entertainment Television LLC. All rights reserved.