The Souls of Black Folk (Dover Thrift Editions) (Dover Thrift Editions: Black History)

This book is a must read! The Souls of Black Folk was so good that I referenced it in my book: The Real Wakandas of Africa by Maurice Miles Martinez. W. E. B. Du Bois earned his PhD from Harvard at a time when African-Americans were not considered for such degrees. He was a Black intellectual who was heavily involved in the civil rights movement of the early 1900s. The Souls of Black Folk takes the reader through a series of essays. These essays brilliantly discuss many of the racial issues of the time. Some of them cover his experiences at Fisk University in the south. Du Bois gets into detail about many different topics which transform his understanding about race. He was an advocate of the talented tenth and engaged Booker T. Washington in dialogue. For those not aware of the history of Black America at that time, Booker T. Washington was perhaps the most prominent Black leader outside of Du Bois. Washington had been enslaved, established Tuskegee university and dined with at least one president of the United States. Thus, the section of this book that engages Booker T. Washington offers a considerable amount of insight into what was prominent a national discussion of that era. Put another way, the DuBois – Washington debate was similar in importance to the debate between Dr. King in Malcolm X in the 1960s. Du Bois was brilliant in his own right and raised questions about racism in Georgia and other places. He’s candid when he was ignorant of certain facts which only adds to his genius. For every genius intellect can admit when he/she doesn’t know something. More specifically, he discussed Dougherty County Georgia and provided an array of facts about the economics of growing cotton there. He detailed how cotton was used to keep people in debt under the system of racism. Like The Souls of Black folk, I also discuss a variety of issues around race which transpired during the pre and post reconstruction era in my book The Real Wakandas of Africa. I explain how these issues are still prevalent in society today. However, unlike other works, I also discuss the rich history of Africans prior to slavery. Africans built the tallest building in the world which stood for more than 4000 years, towering over all other world structures. Africans conducted surgery on the eye to remove cataracts hundreds of years ago and performed successful cesarean sections with antiseptics before they were known in the rest of the world. Africans built monumental structures such as a wall for which I also wrote a book called: The Great Wall of Africa: The Empire of Benin’s 10,000 Mile Long Wall by Maurice Miles Martinez. It is these stories that are often missing from the history of Black people in the Americas and African diaspora. Indeed, The Souls of Black Folk is a worthy read. Any person wanting to better understand the development of race in the late 1800s and early 1900s should read this book. Pick up a copy today!

Not a quick read, to say the least, but rather something to go through slowly and piecemeal, savoring his oratory and vocabulary. (Did Du Bois popularize "zeitgeist" here a century before, e.g., Spy magazine?) Even when he's making the case for something that you feel is common sense or self-evident in 2024, he does so so beautifully that it's worth reading.

I read this book immediately after reading Booker T. Washington's Up From Slavery. It is 2015 in the USA and this book is still rightfully on the must read list. You can read this book just for it's historical and economic account of the times, for it's poetic, confessional and brilliant social commentary that is an anguished masterpiece . . . or because some teacher is making you read it. It must have been a revolution when it came out over 100 years ago. DuBois lived a long time after this book, but he still didn't live long enough for his complaints to be addressed. I think the chapter blasting BTW is a shame - DuBois accuses him of "propaganda", "indiscriminate flattery" and ouch . . . lacking in a manly outlook. Can't help wondering if this was really academic vs. tech school feuding. Anyway the book isn't all negative - hope remains, there is recognition and pride in the positives of American Blacks and their gifts to our country . . . not much mention of God - who seems to be in a place this book longs for . . . on the other side. P.S. This edition was clear, easy to read and a great price

Adding more books for later reading

It was a profound and passionate read!!!

Written originally in 1903 both as a gift to African Americans and a gift from an African American, "The Souls of Black Folk" describes through one man's (W. E. B. Du Bois) eyes the consciousness of turn-of-the-century African Americans. Using his own life as a social and psychological model, Du Bois traces the inner life of post-Emancipation and post-Reconstruction African Americans. Whether one agrees with all, most, little, or none of Du Bois' conclusions, any serious student of African American history and self-understanding can't afford to bypass this work. One of the most intriguing aspects is his candid comparison of his views with Booker T. Washington. Washington promoted a more modest, slower-paced changing of the status quo. He also emphasized what today would be called vocational education as the surest way for African Americans to advance. Du Bois was not totally critical, at times lavishing praise on Washington for his many valiant achievements. However, he was not timid in his appraisal that Washington had trusted too much in European Americans and too little in African Americans. Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction." He has also authored "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and the forthcoming "Sacred Friendships: Listening to the Voices of Women Soul Care-Givers and Spiritual Directors."

Not much with the slave narratives on the southern platation life something i thoutght it read about none what ever just poets complaining

love it a MUST read

aucune erreur liée au produit pas de problème quant à l'envoi du produit, c'est une belle pièces de collection pour les passionnés de black power

Great book for air travel reading. Chapters are more or less independent of each other; some history some personal narrative some pretty aggressive rhetoric.

The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois is a groundbreaking work that examines the experiences of Black Americans in the post-Reconstruction era. Through essays, Du Bois explores themes of racial inequality, the concept of “double consciousness,” and the struggle for civil rights. His powerful prose and deep insights make this a must-read for understanding the complexities of race in America. A timeless and essential work in both history and literature.

Tres intéressant mais pas toujours facile (j’ai eu du mal à comprendre certains mots/expressions).