W. E. B. Du Bois Under-Represented and First Generation Scholarship Fund

“Education and work are the levers to uplift a people. Work alone will not do it unless inspired by the right ideals and guided by intelligence. Education must not simply teach work—it must teach Life” (Du Bois 1903).

W. E. B. Du Bois is an important foreparent of American Sociology. Along with his colleagues at Atlanta University, Du Bois revolutionized the scientific methods of sociological research, introducing many standards still in practice today. In addition to being a renowned sociologist, Du Bois was an educator, mentor, and activist who saw education as one of the most important tools for Black Americans to achieve racial uplift in American society. In 1903, Du Bois dreamed of a Talented Tenth, 10% of the Black community who would earn a college education and do work to improve the conditions of their communities. A century later, the reality of Du Bois’ dream is that more than 20% of Black Americans earn college degrees, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While a college education is more attainable today for people from all kinds of minoritized backgrounds, improved access comes as the result of the monumental efforts of those people whose dedication to expanding educational access creates opportunities for those who need support to achieve their educational goals. The W. E. B. Du Bois Under-Represented and First Generation Scholarship Fund was established in 2020 by some of those people.

The Du Bois scholarship was founded to increase educational opportunities for minoritized and first-generation students earning their bachelor’s degree in Sociology, Criminology, Anthropology, or Folk Studies (SCAF). Many students enrolled in the SCAF department enter these disciplines because they want to learn how and why society operates as it does for the purposes of improving conditions for people in their communities. Graduates work in victim advocacy, juvenile justice, law enforcement, courts and corrections, non-profits, and in many other sectors of the economy where they can use the skills and knowledge gained in their degree to achieve their goals of contributing to social justice. This was W. E. B. Du Bois’ dream, and the Du Bois scholarship ensures that SCAF can contribute to the cultivation of that dream.

Many minoritized and first-generation graduates of the Sociology and Criminology program have benefited from the support of departmental scholarship funds. Avery Yates, a sociology major, is one of the students who has received a departmental scholarship. Avery shares, “Receiving the N.O. Taff Scholarship has meant so much to me. To represent the department in any way is an honor. More than that, the monetary donation helps support my academic pursuits on the undergraduate level and graduate level. I plan on attending law school following my graduation from WKU, and law school is an expensive future. Meaning, I am planning and preparing for that in many ways right now, so the department supporting me with a scholarship has helped me tremendously. Every penny goes toward my future goals, but knowing that I have the moral support from the department through the gifting of this scholarship goes beyond any of the financial value of it!”

Your generosity for the W. E. B. Du Bois Under-Represented and First Generation Scholarship Fund will help support future Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology majors in their educational and career aspirations.