The story
The term was coined by White Northern philanthropists, then publicized by W. E. B. Du Bois in an influential essay of the same name, which he published in September 1903.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Talented Tenth
Today it means: A leadership class of African-Americans in the early 20th century, typified by one in ten black men thought to have educated themselves and become involved in social change. Full definition →