The influential civil rights activist known for their work in education is W.E.B. Du Bois. As a co-founder of the NAACP, he advocated for equal rights and worked tirelessly to address racial injustice. Du Bois emphasized the importance of education in empowering African Americans and believed in developing a Talented Tenth to lead the community. His scholarly work and activism laid the foundation for future civil rights efforts and highlighted education's crucial role in achieving social equality and justice.