W. E. B. Du Bois was a prominent American historian and civil rights activist. Du Bois rose to fame through being the leader of the Niagara Movement. Du Bois was also a prolific writer and many of his works are considered cornerstones of African-American literature. The Talented Tenth, published in 1903, is a highly influential essay that Du Bois wrote on the term that was designated by prominent Northern white liberals around the the turn of the century.