One of the most influential books ever published in America, W. E. B. Du Bois's The Souls of Black Folk is an eloquent collection of fourteen essays that describe the life, the ambitions, the struggles, and the passions of African Americans at the transition from the nineteenth to the twentieth century.
The first African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard University, Du Bois was a sociologist, historian, novelist, and activist whose astounding career spanned the nation's history from Reconstruction to the Civil Rights Movement. In The Souls of Black Folk, published in 1903, Du Bois argued against the conciliatory position taken by Booker T. Washington, at the time the most influential black leader in America, and called for a more radical form of aggressive protest--a strategy that would anticipate and inspire much of the activism of the 1960s.
Du Bois's essays were the first to articulate many of Black America's thoughts and feelings, including the dilemma posed by the black psyche's "double consciousness," which Du Bois described as "this twoness--an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings . . . in one dark body." Every essay in The Souls of Black Folk is a jewel of intellectual prowess, eloquent language, and groundbreaking insight. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the struggle for Civil Rights in America.
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With a dash of the Victorian and Enlightenment influences that peppered his impassioned yet formal prose, the book's largely autobiographical chapters take the reader through the momentous and moody maze of Afro-American life after the Emancipation Proclamation: from poverty, the neoslavery of the sharecropper, illiteracy, miseducation, and lynching, to the heights of humanity reached by the spiritual "sorrow songs" that birthed gospel and the blues. The most memorable passages are contained in "On Booker T. Washington and Others," where Du Bois criticizes his famous contemporary's rejection of higher education and accommodationist stance toward white racism: "Mr. Washington's programme practically accepts the alleged inferiority of the Negro races," he writes, further complaining that Washington's thinking "withdraws many of the high demands of Negroes as men and American citizens." The capstone of The Souls of Black Folk, though, is Du Bois' haunting, eloquent description of the concept of the black psyche's "double consciousness," which he described as "a peculiar sensation.... One ever feels this twoness--an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder." Thanks to W.E.B. Du Bois' commitment and foresight--and the intellectual excellence expressed in this timeless literary gem--black Americans can today look in the mirror and rejoice in their beautiful black, brown, and beige reflections. --Eugene Holley Jr.
Far ahead of its time, The Souls Of Black Folk both anticipated and inspired much of the black conciousness and activism of the 1960's and is a classic in the literature of civil rights. The elegance of DuBois's prose and the passion of his message are as crucial today as they were upon the book's first publication.
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. This vintage book contains W. E. B. Du Bois' 1903 work, "The Souls of Black Folk" A classic work of American history and sociology, it constitutes a seminal piece of African-American literary history. It contains essays chiefly on the subject of race and is based on the author's own experiences as an African-American in the late nineteenth century. "The Souls of Black Folk" is a seminal early work in the field of sociology and is highly recommended for those with an interest in American history. Contents include: "The Forethought", "Of Our Spiritual Strivings", "Of the Dawn of Freedom", "Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others", "Of the Meaning of Progress", "Of the Wings of Atalanta", "Of the Training of Black Men", "Of the Black Belt", "Of the Quest of the Golden Fleece", "Of the Sons of Master and Man", "Of the Faith of the Fathers", et cetera. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author. Seller Inventory # DADAX1446504417
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Book Description HRD. Condition: New. New Book. Delivered from our UK warehouse in 4 to 14 business days. THIS BOOK IS PRINTED ON DEMAND. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # L1-9781446504413
Book Description Buch. Condition: Neu. nach der Bestellung gedruckt Neuware - Printed after ordering - This vintage book contains W. E. B. Du Bois' 1903 work, 'The Souls of Black Folk'. A classic work of American history and sociology, it constitutes a seminal piece of African-American literary history. It contains essays chiefly on the subject of race and is based on the author's own experiences as an African-American in the late nineteenth century. 'The Souls of Black Folk' is a seminal early work in the field of sociology and is highly recommended for those with an interest in American history. Contents include: 'The Forethought', 'Of Our Spiritual Strivings', 'Of the Dawn of Freedom', 'Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others', 'Of the Meaning of Progress', 'Of the Wings of Atalanta', 'Of the Training of Black Men', 'Of the Black Belt', 'Of the Quest of the Golden Fleece', 'Of the Sons of Master and Man', 'Of the Faith of the Fathers', et cetera. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author. Seller Inventory # 9781446504413