W. E. B. Du Bois was an African-American historian and civil rights activist. Benny Russell listened to civil rights speeches given by Du Bois. (DS9 novelization: Far Beyond the Stars) When Douglas Pabst claimed that readers did not want to read literature written by African-Americans, Benny Russell cited Du Bois as an example of just such an author whose works people did read. (DS9 episode: "Far Beyond the Stars")