History Research Project. Senior Level paper. Chicago Style. This writing is based on W.E.B. DuBuis and how the talented tenth came about. What I have so far is below: 
W.E.B. DuBois: From Oppression to the Talented Tenth 
Prior to the first Civil Rights Act and during the Reconstruction period in America, the education system was limited for African-Americans and those of a minority descent. Since education was lacking, economic progress and social reform ceased to produce an atmosphere of which growth and power could dominate in the African-American community. African American education improved through the creation of the talented tenth, a term coined  (give me your definition and a time period) _____________________________________________ This paper will show that the talented tenth theory has been an effective method for academic excellence and social reform for the African-American community. (I believe that this can be your thesis.)  To show the importance of the talented tenth, the writings (Is it more than just one writing?) of W.E.B. DuBois and his publication (What was the actual title of the book or, if it was not just in one writing, give one of the major sources in which it appeared.) 
Intro/Background material 
W.E.B. DuBois was born on February 23, 1868, just after the abolition of American slavery, the end of the American Civil War, and as the Post War-Reconstruction period began.  These events were important because they set the ground work for the beginning of an enlightenment and education in America for African-Americans. Before the Civil War, most blacks were incompetent (I am not sure if that is the correct word here!) and did have the basic aural (Definition- “related to the ear or the sense of hearing”- Is that what you mean by using this word?) skills to acquire jobs, open or run neither businesses nor an educational background to move into the direction of racial  (Not sure why you use “racial” here. Why not “economic” here? ) independence. The irony is slaves were kept illiterate to keep them from revolting. Education was a major component in gaining true freedom. It was not until Post-Civil War America that a resurgence (Why a “resurgence” and not a characteristic that is happening for the first time? “Re” implies that it had happened before.) of the need to educate the mind began in the African-American community. After the American Civil War, the African-American community began to rally together to build schools, hire and become instructors and build a solidified community. The Reconstruction period changed the dynamics of African-Americans and how they were to move forward in building a needed economic society in America.  
The present (?) definition of talented tenth (Give me this citation in a footnote?) writes that it is  
…The concept of a group-leadership. Not simply educated and self-sacrificing, but with a clear vision of present world conditions and dangers, and conducting American Negros (When was this definition used because “Negro” is a pre-1960s definition?) to alliance with culture groups in Europe, America, Asia and Africa, and looking toward a new world culture… [It is] leadership through special organization. Such organization calls for more than a tenth of our number. One one-hundreth, or thirty thousand persons is indicated, with a directing council composed of educated and specially trained experts in the main branches of science and the main categories of human work, and a paid executive committee of five or six persons to carry out the program.”1  
This concept provided and continues to provide (Is it still used today?) a class of high academic regard to run the social and economic affairs of the African-American community.  
The above definition first came from a writing DuBois entitled, “The Talented Tenth” (Give publication date- Give the full citation in a footnote at the bottom of the page).2 DuBois in his theory, wanted to take give liberty and peace. This talented tenth was to provide a way out of contamination and deterrence (I do not know why you use these two words here. You will need to either explain why you use them in this context in a sentence or two or drop them.)  in the black community. The talented tenth can also be seen as Marxist in a view, but it will be covered later in the text.3  
Du Bois’ “Talented Tenth,” was a guide to closing the social, academic and educational gaps in American society and ways to accomplish those goals through the lenses of different influential leaders. There were three main objectives. The first objective was to “show from the past that the Talented Tenth as they have risen among Negroes have been worthy of leadership.” It is complex but clearly outlined in the excerpt. DuBois continued, 
“You misjudge us because you do not know us. From the very first it has been the educated and intelligent of the Negro people that have led and elevated the mass, and the sole obstacles that nullified and retarded their efforts were slavery and racial prejudice; for what is slavery but the legalized survival of the unfit and the nullification of the work of natural internal leadership…”  
DuBois interpreted that since the beginning of the African (migration?) to America, the Talented Tenth has risen above the masses to cultivate an atmosphere in the African-American community of freedom, educational success and a sense of leadership amongst its own people. DuBois references the beginning of American history to value those who are uprooted in humanity and has been the voice for the people of African descent. Beginning in colonial days, activists and leaders such as Phillis Wheatley (Life span) and Benjamin Banneker (Life span) rose above the masses to show leadership and characteristics of the talented tenth. Dr. James Derham (Life span), a medical doctor who was given an honorary degree from Middlebury College was a major component in the building of the talented tenth. These men were of distinct honor for their time (When?) period. For Du Bois,  
“They strove by word and deed to save the color line from becoming the line between the bond and free but all they could do was nullified by Eli Whitney and the Curse of Gold. So the passed into forgetfulness.”4 The invention of the Cotton Gin and the boom of the West Coast proved that progress could be slowed down and manipulated within the boundaries of the natural mans needs. (Did you write this or is the previous sentence a quote of Du Bois as well? I would use “human needs” if it is your writing.) 
You need to break of this paragraph because it is too long. I tried to break it up. Can you do a paragraph about the Post-Civil War period? 
Though the talented tenth was growing (When?), the progress was halted because of the oppression and one-track (Can you think of a better word here?) jobs for African-American men. This led to ignorance to the need to be educated, knowledgeable and able to provide pathways for other African-Americans to be able to prosper. This only would move the society in a class worthy of action because of economic independence, academic excellence and social reform with different groups in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and wherever it would be beneficial for the African-American community.  
The first Negro Convention in 1831 was another noticeable factor in the worthiness of the leadership of the talented tenth. The quote used in the work from John Brown’s (Life Span- Also- who was John Brown?) convention speech,  
“… Laws as cruel in themselves as they were unconstitutional and unjust, have in many places enacted against our poor, unfriended and unoffending brethren (without a shadow of provocation on our part), at whose bare recital the very savage draws himself up for fear of contagion looks noble and prides himself because he bears not the name of Christian.”5  
Brown used this speech to cause an emotional and sensitive response. This was a pivotal step in grouping together those with similar beliefs and morals. [What else?- you go from 1831 to 1865] 
DuBois mentioned the leadership of the talented tenth in the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) stating that without the black soldiers in the American Civil War, the Proclamation would not have been possible. The reference to the talented tenth of the abolition movement symbolized the leadership that consistently spoke for the masses and worked to move from oppression to an organized, civilized, independent society. DuBois said,  
“…what would the abolition movement have been without them? They stood as living examples of the possibilities of the Negro race, their own hard experiences and well wrought culture said silently more than all the drawn periods of orators; they were the men who made American slavery impossible.”6 
The education and honor of those who were attaining to lead the masses in a different direction were of different career paths but equally contributed to the advancement of the African-American community. After the Emancipation Proclamation, a group of leaders emerged who “Through political organization, historical and polemic writing and moral regeneration, these men strove to uplift their people.”7 It is important to recognize that leaders could lobby politically, had an academic background to provide insight on history and those who used art to communicate messages. If they did not have them, the worthiness of the talented tenth would be detrimental. This period (When?) was used to lead the African-American people into a foreign position that hadn’t been achieved and moved them into leadership amongst armies and the U.S. Senate. (Is this last sentence Du Bois or your sentence? This was not achieved in the Senate until the 1960s- after the death of Du Bois.) 
The second objective is