W. E. B. Du Bois, a renowned sociologist, historian, activist, and author, was also a skilled graphic designer. Born in 1868, Du Bois studied at Fisk University, Humboldt University, and Harvard, where he became the first African American to earn a doctorate. In 1897, he became a professor at Atlanta University and published The Philadelphia Negro in 1899, a comprehensive sociological study of African Americans in Philadelphia.

Du Bois made a significant contribution to the Pan-African movement by organizing "The Exhibit of American Negroes" at the 1900 Paris Exposition, which aimed to present the history, current conditions, education, and literature of African Americans. The exhibition featured an extensive collection of photographs, patents, books, and maps, but its standout element was 58 hand-drawn charts, created by Du Bois and his students. These charts visually represented data on economic life in Georgia, with a modern, vibrant style that prefigured the works of artists like Piet Mondrian and Wassily Kandinsky.

Despite being largely ignored by the US mainstream press, the exhibition was a significant milestone in the fight for equal rights. It was visited by an estimated 50 million people and sparked increased activism in the African American community. Du Bois later became a prominent figure in the civil rights movement, co-founding the NAACP and leading the Niagara Movement.