Up to this point an attempt has been made to trace the historical development of black nationalism in the United States, to gauge its impact on the contemporary black community, and to assess developments in four specific areas of the nationalist movementrevolutionary, cultural, religious, and educational nationalism. In each case, with few exceptions, the discussion has been general in nature, and omissions abound. One such omission is the dearth of material relating to Pan-Africanism, and especially the role of W.E.B. DuBois, the father of the concept and clearly one of the most distinguished educators and thinkers in American history.

As a young child DuBois learned about Africa from his greatgrandmother, who sang what he was later to call a “sorrow song” to him. His grandfather's grandmother had been seized by a Dutch trader and brought from Africa to the Americas. The song was sung to the children of the family through the generations. DuBois's African heritage was ever present in his mind. As previously quoted, he wrote of the conflict he felt: “One ever feels his two-ness–an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.” Throughout his long and productive life (1868–1963), DuBois remained dedicated to the liberation of Africa and peoples of African descent throughout the world.

Although he was not the organizer of the First Pan-African Conference, held in London July 23–25, 1900, he traveled to the conference as a participant from his teaching post at Atlanta University.