As the founding editor of '' The Crisis '' , Du Bois proclaimed his intentions in his first editorial : The object of this publication is to set forth those facts and arguments which show the danger of race prejudice , particularly as manifested today toward colored people . It takes its name from the fact that the editors believe that this is a critical time in the history of the advancement of men . … Finally , its editorial page will stand for the rights of men , irrespective of color or race , for the highest ideals of American democracy , and for reasonable but earnest and persistent attempts to gain these rights and realize these ideals . " ( '' The Crisis '' , November 1910 , 10 ) Although '' The Crisis '' was officially an organ of the NAACP , Du Bois had a large degree of control over the periodical 's expressed opinion . Du Bois wrote in '' Dusk of Dawn '' ( 1940 ) that he intended for '' The Crisis '' to represent his personal opinions : I determine to make the opinion of the '' Crisis '' a personal opinion ; because , as I argued , no organization can express definite and clear cut opinions … the '' Crisis '' would state openly the opinion of its editor , so long , of course , as that opinion was in general agreement with that of the organization . The NAACP was founded in response to the Springfield Race Riots of Illinois in 1908 , calling attention to the injustices that the black community was subjected to . After this riot , William Walling composed an article in the newspaper , prompting his audience to fight racism in a united fashion . Oswald Villard responded to Walling 's article in an article of his own titled '' The Call , '' an article welcoming individuals to attend a national meeting dedicated to intersectional justice for all citizens despite race . There were 60 individuals that attended the call , 7 of them were persons of color , including Mary Church Terrell , Ida B. Wells , and W. E. B. Du Bois . This meeting and signing of the call led to the formation of the NAACP in 1909
Springfield Race Riots of Illinois in 1908
Springfield race riot of 1908
The Crisis