The historical figure that took a stand to challenge the rules was William Edward Burghardt. William was one of the most influential figures in American civil rights history. Did you know that in 1895 Dubois became the african American to earn a P.H.D from harvard university. WIlliam Edward Burghardt was a civil rights activist, meaning a leader of a political movement which is dedicated to securing equal opportunities for members. Dr William Edward Burghardt was disliked by his own country, and many of his friends abandoned him because they were scared of the wrath of the U.S government so they sadly abandoned WIlliam. He then writes a book based on the color of people called “Double Consciousness”. In the book he writes about the color