W.E.B. Du Bois passed away on the eve of the 1963 March on Washington
Clip: 5/19/2026 | 1m 48sVideo has Closed Captions
Du Bois’ death at the 1963 March on Washington marked a passing of the torch in civil rights.
W.E.B. Du Bois died in 1963 on the eve of the March on Washington and just before Martin Luther King, Jr's historic speech. His passing marked a solemn moment, as thousands recognized his role in shaping the movement and felt a responsibility to carry his vision of equality forward.
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W.E.B. Du Bois passed away on the eve of the 1963 March on Washington
Clip: 5/19/2026 | 1m 48sVideo has Closed Captions
W.E.B. Du Bois died in 1963 on the eve of the March on Washington and just before Martin Luther King, Jr's historic speech. His passing marked a solemn moment, as thousands recognized his role in shaping the movement and felt a responsibility to carry his vision of equality forward.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Du Bois is arguably the greatest Black intellectual scholar activist in American history.
(group singing indistinctly) (soft music) - I believe in God, who made of one blood all nations that on earth do dwell.
I believe that all men Black and brown and white are brothers.
- [Chad] He dies in August 1963 on the eve of the March on Washington for jobs and freedom.
- [Andrew] Now this was before Martin Luther King's speech.
This was in the early time of the march.
- [Announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please.
- [Andrew] It was announced that W.E.B Du Bois had just died in Ghana.
There was a gasp and a moment of silence.
It was a really somber moment.
- [Roy] At the dawn of the 20th century, his was the voice that was calling to you to gather here today in this cause.
(audience applauding) - [Andrew] I'm sure everybody was thinking like I was thinking.
It's time for us to take over now.
That he had brought us this far by himself, but now we were standing out there with 100,000 people that were united by the same phenomena that awakened him.
(upbeat music) (people muttering) - I very early got the idea.
- That I was going to prove to the world that Negroes.
- Were just like other people.
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Support for American Masters is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AARP, Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Judith and Burton Resnick, Blanche and Hayward Cirker Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Koo...