Originally published in 1903, The Souls of Black Folk is a classic
study of race, culture, and education at the turn of the twentieth
century. With its singular combination of essays, memoir, and fiction,
this book vaulted Du Bois to the forefront of American political
commentary and civil rights activism. It is an impassioned, at times
searing account of the situation of African Americans in the United
States, making a forceful case for the access of African Americans to
higher education and extolling the achievements of black culture. Du
Bois advances the provocative and influential argument that due to the
inequalities and pressures of the "race problem," African American
identity is characterized by "double consciousness." This edition
includes a valuable appendix of other writings by Du Bois, which sheds
light on his motivation and his goals.
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