The Gift of Black Folk

Product Description In 1924, in response to the pursuit of increasingly racist policies in the United States, W. E. B. Du Bois published a groundbreaking collection of essays that challenged the existing prejudices about Black people and provided a fuller accounting of Black contributions to American life. The accomplishments that Du Bois chronicles here―in art, literature, economics, religion, industry, the military, and more―are stunning, especially considering the obstacles facing Black Americans. Du Bois makes the case that, collectively, Black Americans offer the fullest realization of the goal of democracy. Without these men and women, Du Bois argued, “America as we know it would have been impossible.” Du Bois’s edifying work stands as an essential contribution to the history of the African American experience and an enduring testament to the importance of equality for all. Revised edition: Previously published as The Gift of Black Folk, this edition of The Gift of Black Folk (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions. About the Author William Edward Burghardt (W. E. B.) Du Bois (1868–1963) was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. A scholar, activist, and author, Du Bois was not only the first African American to earn a PhD from Harvard University but was also the most celebrated advocate of African American rights in the early twentieth century. He cofounded the NAACP in 1909 and founded the organization’s magazine, The Crisis, which is now the oldest Black publication in the world. In addition to his work as a professor of history, sociology, and economics at Atlanta University, Du Bois worked his entire life to promote civil rights, Pan-Africanism, women’s rights, and nuclear disarmament. A prolific writer, Du Bois penned many works, including Black Reconstruction in America, The Philadelphia Negro, and the seminal sociological work The Souls of Black Folk. Du Bois died in Accra, Ghana, at the age of ninety-five―just a day before Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington.