The Souls of Black Folk
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- Author：W.E.B. Du Bois
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Summary
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。
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe。 Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship， providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features， including expert introductions by leading authorities， voluminous notes to clarify the text， up-to-date bibliographies for further study， and much more。
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe。 Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship， providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features， including expert introductions by leading authorities， voluminous notes to clarify the text， up-to-date bibliographies for further study， and much more。
Reviews
Kevin Shepherd
，
"This book is dangerous for the Negro to read， for it will only incite discontent and fill his imagination with things that do not exist， or things that should not bear upon his mind。" ~The Nashville Banner， 1903 "This book is dangerous for the Negro to read， for it will only incite discontent and fill his imagination with things that do not exist， or things that should not bear upon his mind。" ~The Nashville Banner， 1903 。。。more
Adam
，
In the Oxford Press edition， Appendix III， DuBois reflects on the enduring influence and limitations of 'The Souls of Black Folk'。 It is in his last statement， written around 1953， a few years before his death， that rings ever more loudly and truly today as it did all those years ago: "I still think today as yesterday that the colour-line is a great problem of this century。 But today I see more clearly than yesterday that back of the problem of race and colour， lies a greater problem which both In the Oxford Press edition， Appendix III， DuBois reflects on the enduring influence and limitations of 'The Souls of Black Folk'。 It is in his last statement， written around 1953， a few years before his death， that rings ever more loudly and truly today as it did all those years ago: "I still think today as yesterday that the colour-line is a great problem of this century。 But today I see more clearly than yesterday that back of the problem of race and colour， lies a greater problem which both obscures and implements it; and that is the fact that so many civilised persons are willing to live in comfort even if the price of this is poverty， ignorance and disease of the majority of their fellowmen; that to maintain this privilege men have waged war until today war tends to become universal and continuous， and the excuse for this war continues largely to be colour and race"。 。。。more
Jonathan
，
Reading The Souls of Black Folk was like an entirely new experience for me。 I've never read non-fiction that feels so alive and so impassioned， like a living historical document。 Du Bois's prose is difficult， and at times I felt myself losing the plot amid his dense， referential style， but the importance of the book and the manifesto it sets out for higher education of African Americans is vital and wonderful to read。 I found the chapter "Of the Coming of John" particularly compelling。 Reading The Souls of Black Folk was like an entirely new experience for me。 I've never read non-fiction that feels so alive and so impassioned， like a living historical document。 Du Bois's prose is difficult， and at times I felt myself losing the plot amid his dense， referential style， but the importance of the book and the manifesto it sets out for higher education of African Americans is vital and wonderful to read。 I found the chapter "Of the Coming of John" particularly compelling。 。。。more
Rae
，
An incredible collection of essays。 With dignity， power and sumptuous prose， Du Bois explores race relations and the state of the nation of America at the dawn of the twentieth century。 There are some minutiae regarding individuals and politics of the time which make the book feel dated， but overall the content is still depressingly relevant， both as a historical document and as a marker of how far society has still to go。 Du Bois combines anecdotes with statistics and demonstrates a mastery of An incredible collection of essays。 With dignity， power and sumptuous prose， Du Bois explores race relations and the state of the nation of America at the dawn of the twentieth century。 There are some minutiae regarding individuals and politics of the time which make the book feel dated， but overall the content is still depressingly relevant， both as a historical document and as a marker of how far society has still to go。 Du Bois combines anecdotes with statistics and demonstrates a mastery of the essay style。 Again and again， he refers to situations of such extreme injustice that it seems the only possible response is anger。 And yet he is only ever measured。 Du Bois also exhibits empathy for all - often even the perpetrators of dreadful crimes - as he explores the ways in which the systems of America have failed its citizens and argues for improved access to （especially higher） education as the way forward。 Though his empathy could never be misjudged as acceptance: Du Bois argues for change， for civil rights， equality of opportunity and immediate ending of the bitter injustices which were deep-rooted in America at the turn of the （20th） century， and which have not yet been uprooted in the 21st。All the essays offer different but cohesive perspectives on his central theme， 'the problem of the color-line。' I particularly loved number 5， 'The Wings of Atlanta。' Here Du Bois explores how America has， just like Atalanta in the Greek myth， become so distracted by 'golden apples' of money that it is beginning to see gold acquisition as the end-game of life， not merely as something to pick up along the way。 He criticises the racist double-standards of education which trained African-Americans only for labour， whilst 'education which seeks as an end culture and character， rather than breadwinning， is the privilege of the white man。'I tried to read this when I was 16 and did not finish it as I found the language too hard to get my head around。 But I'm glad I came back to it in adulthood， because this book is is a classic and a must-read。Life Lessons:'The true college will ever have but one goal — not to earn meat， but to know the end and aim of that life which meat nourishes。''How many heartfuls of sorrow shall balance a bushel of wheat？ How hard a thing is life to the lowly， and yet how human and real！'Everyone deserves to live a life free from prejudice， persecution， injustice and the misery of poverty。 Du Bois charges greed as a central culprit in the creation of these evils， and it seems to me the lust for money is at least equally， if not more， deep-seated in modern society as it was 100 years ago when this was published。 It reminded me of the power of education， of my own immense privilege and of the need to listen to others and to act， to move society forwards so that the future can be better than the present。 。。。more
Caleb
，
It admittedly lost me a few times （as books from this era and style tend to do）， but dang Du Bois was good at writing all the same。
Graham Mcmillan
，
An exceptional thinker， well ahead of his time。 Almost poetical in his descriptions and explanations， a truly incredible read。
Jonathan Heaslet
，
Oh my goodness！ Was this book published in 1903 or 2021？ DuBois's Forethought prepares the reader for the journey ahead -- "the strange meaning of being Black" and "the problem of the Twentieth [and Twenty-first！] Century is the problem of the color line。"DuBois gathers together fourteen chapters of memoir， history， sociology， theology/ecclesiology， musicology， and economics to prosecute his argument on how and why African-Americans face the problems they do of living in the US。What came to me a Oh my goodness！ Was this book published in 1903 or 2021？ DuBois's Forethought prepares the reader for the journey ahead -- "the strange meaning of being Black" and "the problem of the Twentieth [and Twenty-first！] Century is the problem of the color line。"DuBois gathers together fourteen chapters of memoir， history， sociology， theology/ecclesiology， musicology， and economics to prosecute his argument on how and why African-Americans face the problems they do of living in the US。What came to me as completely new， given my fairly extensive knowledge of US History， was his evaluation of the Freedman's Bureau's role in Reconstruction。 I appreciated hearing first hand his disagreement with Booker T Washington on their differing philosophies of education。 DuBois's grief over the death of his young son is poured out with such emotion and yet such rational thought。Twentieth and Twenty-first Century books on race and racism make so much more sense with The Souls of Black Black as foundational reading。 。。。more
Taylor Norman
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“The would-be black savant was confronted by the paradox that the knowledge his people needed was a twice-told tale to his white neighbors， while the knowledge which would teach the white world was Greek to his own flesh and blood” （9）。 “Whatever of good may have come in these years of change， the shadow of a deep disappointment rests upon the Negro people，—a disappointment all the more bitter because the unattained ideal was unbounded save by the simple ignorance of a lowly people” （10）。 “Then “The would-be black savant was confronted by the paradox that the knowledge his people needed was a twice-told tale to his white neighbors， while the knowledge which would teach the white world was Greek to his own flesh and blood” （9）。 “Whatever of good may have come in these years of change， the shadow of a deep disappointment rests upon the Negro people，—a disappointment all the more bitter because the unattained ideal was unbounded save by the simple ignorance of a lowly people” （10）。 “Then amid all crouched the freed slave， bewildered between friend and foe。 He had emerged from slavery，—not the worst slavery in the world， not a slavery that made all life unbearable， rather a slavery that had here and there something of kindliness， fidelity， and happiness，—but withal slavery， which， so far as human aspiration and desert were concerned， classed the black man and the ox together。 And the Negro knew full well that， whatever their deeper convictions may have been， Southern men had fought with desperate energy to perpetuate this slavery under which the black masses， with half-articulate thought， had writhed and shivered。 They welcomed freedom with a cry。 They shrank from the master who still strove for their chains; they fled to the friends that had freed them， even though those friends stood ready to use them as a club for driving the recalcitrant South back into loyalty。 So the cleft between the white and black South grew。 Idle to say it never should have been; it was as inevitable as its results were pitiable。 Curiously incongruous elements were left arrayed against each other，—the North， the government， the carpet-bagger， and the slave， here; and there， all the South that was white， whether gentleman or vagabond， honest man or rascal， lawless murderer or martyr to duty” （25）。 “Amid it all， two figures ever stand to typify that day to coming ages，—the one， a gray-haired gentleman， whose fathers had quit themselves like men， whose sons lay in nameless graves; who bowed to the evil of slavery because its abolition threatened untold ill to all; who stood at last， in the evening of life， a blighted， ruined form， with hate in his eyes;—and the other， a form hovering dark and mother-like， her awful face black with the mists of centuries， had aforetime quailed at that white master’s command， had bent in love over the cradles of his sons and daughters， and closed in death the sunken eyes of his wife，—aye， too， at his behest had laid herself low to his lust， and borne a tawny man-child to the world， only to see her dark boy’s limbs scattered to the winds by midnight marauders riding after “damned N*****s。” These were the saddest sights of that woful day; and no man clasped the hands of these two passing figures of the present-past; but， hating， they went to their long home， and， hating， their children’s children live today” （25-6）。“And the South was not wholly wrong; for education among all kinds of men always has had， and always will have， an element of danger and revolution， of dissatisfaction and discontent。 Nevertheless， men strive to know。 Perhaps some inkling of this paradox， even in the unquiet days of the Bureau， helped the bayonets allay an opposition to human training which still to-day lies smouldering in the South， but not flaming。 Fisk， Atlanta， Howard， and Hampton were founded in these days， and six million dollars were expended for educational work， seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars of which the freedmen themselves gave of their poverty” （27）。 “‘In all things purely social we can be as separate as the five fingers， and yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress’” [Booker T。 Washington] （34）。 “Discriminating and broad-minded criticism is what the South needs，—needs it for the sake of her own white sons and daughters， and for the insurance of robust， healthy mental and moral development” （42）。 “。 。 。 while it is a great truth to say that the Negro must strive and strive mightily to help himself， it is equally true that unless his striving be not simply seconded， but rather aroused and encouraged， by the initiative of the richer and wiser environing group， he cannot hope for great success” （43）。 “In his failure to realize and impress this last point， Mr。 Washington is especially to be criticised。 His doctrine has tended to make the whites， North and South， shift the burden of the Negro problem to the Negro’s shoulders and stand aside as critical and rather pessimistic spectators; when in fact the burden belongs to the nation， and the hands of none of us are clean if we bend not our energies to righting these great wrongs” （44）。 “[The Burkes had] an unconventionality that spent itself in loud guffaws， slaps on the back， and naps in the corner” （52）。 “How shall man measure Progress there where the dark-faced Josie lies？ How many heartfuls of sorrow shall balance a bushel of wheat？ How hard a thing is life to the lowly， and yet how human and real！ And all this life and love and strife and failure，—is it the twilight of nightfall or the flush of some faint-dawning day？” （53）。 “It is a hard thing to live haunted by the ghost of an untrue dream; to see the wide vision of empire fade into real ashes and dirt; to feel the pang of the conquered， and yet know that with all the Bad that fell on one black day， something was vanquished that deserved to live， something killed that in justice had not dared to die; to know that with the Right that triumphed， triumphed something of Wrong， something sordid and mean， something less than the broadest and best。 All this is bitter hard; and many a man and city and people have found in it excuse for sulking， and brooding， and listless waiting” （54）。 “。 。 。 the true college will ever have one goal，—not to earn meat， but to know the end and aim of that life which meat nourishes” （58）。 “They forgot， too， just as their successors are forgetting， the rule of inequality:—that of the million black youth， some were fitted to know and some to dig; that some had the talent and capacity of university men， and some the talent and capacity of blacksmiths; and that true training meant neither that all should be college men nor all artisans， but that the one should be made a missionary of culture to an untaught people， and the other a free workman among serfs。 And to seek to make the blacksmith a scholar is almost as silly as the more modern scheme of making the scholar a blacksmith; almost， but not quite” （59-60）。 “The function of the university is not simply to teach bread-winning， or to furnish teachers for the public schools or to be a centre of polite society; it is， above all， to be the organ of that fine adjustment between real life and the growing knowledge of life， an adjustment which forms the secret of civilization” （60）。 “Again， we may decry the color-prejudice of the South， yet it remains a heavy fact。 Such curious kinks of the human mind exist and must be reckoned with soberly。 They cannot be laughed away， nor always successfully stormed at， nor easily abolished by act of legislature。 And yet they must not be encouraged by being let alone。 They must be recognized as facts， but unpleasant facts; things that stand in the way of civilization and religion and common decency。 They can be met in but one way，—by the breadth and broadening of human reason， by catholicity of taste and culture” （64）。 “Even to-day the masses of the Negroes see all too clearly the anomalies of their position and the moral crookedness of yours。 You may marshal strong indictments against them， but their counter-cries， lacking though they be in formal logic， have burning truths within them which you may not wholly ignore， O Southern Gentlemen！ If you deplore their presence here， they ask， Who brought us？ When you cry， Deliver us from the vision of intermarriage， they answer that legal marriage is infinitely better than systematic concubinage and prostitution。 And if in just fury you accuse their vagabonds of violating women， they also in fury quite as just may reply: The rape which your gentlemen have done against helpless black women in defiance of your own laws is written on the foreheads of two millions of mulattoes， and written in ineffaceable blood。 And finally， when you fasten crime upon this race as its peculiar trait， they answer that slavery was the arch-crime， and lynching and lawlessness its twin abortions; that color and race are not crimes， and yet it is they which in this land receive most unceasing condemnation， North， East， South， and West” （74）。 “There is little beauty in this region， only a sort of crude abandon that suggests power，—a naked grandeur， as it were。 The houses are bare and straight; there are no hammocks or easy-chairs， and few flowers。 So when， as here at Rawdon’s， one sees a vine clinging to a little porch， and home-like windows peeping over the fences， one takes a long breath。 I think I never before quite realized the place of the Fence in civilization。 This is the Land of the Unfenced， where crouch on either hand scores of ugly one-room cabins， cheerless and dirty。 Here lies the Negro problem in its naked dirt and penury。 And here are no fences。 But now and then the crisscross rails or straight palings break into view， and then we know a touch of culture is near。 Of course Harrison Gohagen，—a quiet yellow man， young， smooth-faced， and diligent，—of course he is lord of some hundred acres， and we expect to see a vision of well-kept rooms and fat beds and laughing children。 For has he not fine fences？ And those over yonder， why should they build fences on the rack-rented land？ It will only increase their rent” （83）。 “Happy？—Well， yes; he laughed and flipped pebbles， and thought the world was as it was” （89）。 “One thing， however， seldom occurs: the best of the whites and the best of the Negroes almost never live in anything like close proximity。 It thus happens that in nearly every Southern town and city， both whites and blacks see commonly the worst of each other。 This is a vast change from the situation in the past， when， through the close contact of master and house-servant in the patriarchal big house， one found the best of both races in close contact and sympathy， while at the same time the squalor and dull round of toil among the field-hands was removed from the sight and hearing of the family” （113）。 “So long as the best elements of a community do not feel in duty bound to protect and train and care for the weaker members of their group， they leave them to be preyed upon by these swindlers and rascals” （116）。 “That to leave the Negro helpless and without a ballot to-day is to leave him not to the guidance of the best， but rather to the exploitation and debauchment of the worst; that this is no truer of the South than of the North，—of the North than of Europe: in any land， in any country under modern free competition， to lay any class of weak and despised people， be they white， black， or blue， at the political mercy of their stronger， richer， and more resourceful fellows， is a temptation which human nature seldom has withstood and seldom will withstand” （120）。 “Now if one notices carefully one will see that between these two worlds， despite much physical contact and daily intermingling， there is almost no community of intellectual life or point of transference where the thoughts and feelings of one race can come into direct contact and sympathy with the thoughts and feelings of the other” （123-4）。 “Human advancement is not a mere question of almsgiving， but rather of sympathy and cooperation among classes who would scorn charity。 And here is a land where， in the higher walks of life， in all the higher striving for the good and noble and true， the color-line comes to separate natural friends and coworkers; while at the bottom of the social group， in the saloon， the gambling-hell， and the brothel， that same line wavers and disappears” （125）。 “The long system of repression and degradation of the Negro tended to emphasize the elements of his character which made him a valuable chattel: courtesy became humility， moral strength degenerated into submission， and the exquisite native appreciation of the beautiful became an infinite capacity for dumb suffering。 The Negro， losing the joy of this world， eagerly seized upon the offered conceptions of the next 。 。 。” （134）。 “His religion became darker and more intense， and into his ethics crept a note of revenge， into his songs a day of reckoning close at hand。 The “Coming of the Lord” swept this side of Death， and came to be a thing to be hoped for in this day。 Through fugitive slaves and irrepressible discussion this desire for freedom seized the black millions still in bondage， and became their one ideal of life。 The black bards caught new notes， and sometimes even dared to sing，—“O Freedom， O Freedom， O Freedom over me！Before I’ll be a slaveI’ll be buried in my grave，And go home to my LordAnd be free。”For fifty years Negro religion thus transformed itself and identified itself with the dream of Abolition 。 。 。” （135-6）。 “From the double life every American Negro must live， as a Negro and as an American， as swept on by the current of the nineteenth while yet struggling in the eddies of the fifteenth century，—from this must arise a painful self-consciousness， an almost morbid sense of personality and a moral hesitancy which is fatal to self-confidence。 The worlds within and without the Veil of Color are changing， and changing rapidly， but not at the same rate， not in the same way; and this must produce a peculiar wrenching of the soul， a peculiar sense of doubt and bewilderment。 Such a double life， with double thoughts， double duties， and double social classes， must give rise to double words and double ideals， and tempt the mind to pretence or revolt， to hypocrisy or radicalism” （136）。 “To-day the two groups of Negroes， the one in the North， the other in the South， represent these divergent ethical tendencies， the first tending toward radicalism， the other toward hypocritical compromise。 It is no idle regret with which the white South mourns the loss of the old-time Negro，—the frank， honest， simple old servant who stood for the earlier religious age of submission and humility。 With all his laziness and lack of many elements of true manhood， he was at least open-hearted， faithful， and sincere。 To-day he is gone， but who is to blame for his going？ Is it not those very persons who mourn for him？” （137）。 “It is the same defence which Jews of the Middle Age used and which left its stamp on their character for centuries。 To-day the young Negro of the South who would succeed cannot be frank and outspoken， honest and self-assertive， but rather he is daily tempted to be silent and wary， politic and sly; he must flatter and be pleasant， endure petty insults with a smile， shut his eyes to wrong; in too many cases he sees positive personal advantage in deception and lying” （138）。 “The price of culture is a Lie” （138）。 “On the other hand， in the North the tendency is to emphasize the radicalism of the Negro。 Driven from his birthright in the South by a situation at which every fibre of his more outspoken and assertive nature revolts， he finds himself in a land where he can scarcely earn a decent living amid the harsh competition and the color discrimination。 At the same time， through schools and periodicals， discussions and lectures， he is intellectually quickened and awakened。 The soul， long pent up and dwarfed， suddenly expands in new-found freedom。 What wonder that every tendency is to excess，—radical complaint， radical remedies， bitter denunciation or angry silence。 Some sink， some rise” （138）。 “。 。 。 no voice but hers could coax him off to Dreamland， and she and he together spoke some soft and unknown tongue and in it held communion。 I too mused above his little white bed; saw the strength of my own arm stretched onward through the ages through the newer strength of his 。 。 。” （141）。 “‘If still he be， and he be There， and there be a There， let him be happy， O Fate！’” （143）。 “Fool that I was to think or wish that this little soul should grow choked and deformed within the Veil！ I might have known that yonder deep unworldly look that ever and anon floated past his eyes was peering far beyond this narrow Now。 In the poise of his little curl-crowned head did there not sit all that wild pride of being which his father had hardly crushed in his own heart？ For what， forsooth， shall a Negro want with pride amid the studied humiliations of fifty million fellows？ Well sped， my boy， before the world had dubbed your ambition insolence， had held your ideals unattainable， and taught you to cringe and bow。 Better far this nameless void that stops my life than a sea of sorrow for you” （144）。 “Surely there shall yet dawn some mighty morning to lift the Veil and set the prisoned free。 Not for me，—I shall die in my bonds，—but for fresh young souls who have not known the night and waken to the morning; a morning when men ask of the workman， not ‘Is he white？’ but ‘Can he work？’ When men ask artists， not ‘Are they black？’ but ‘Do they know？’” （144）。 “A vision of life came to the growing boy，—mystic， wonderful。 He raised his head， stretched himself， breathed deep of the fresh new air。 Yonder， behind the forests， he heard strange sounds; then glinting through the trees he saw， far， far away， the bronzed hosts of a nation calling，—calling faintly， calling loudly。 He heard the hateful clank of their chains; he felt them cringe and grovel， and there rose within him a protest and a prophecy。 And he girded himself to walk down the world” （147）。 。。。more
Jose
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I cried， raged， despaired， and learned reading these essays and short stories。 Du Bois' voice is consistently clear and articulate: excellent writing。 I found his perspective balanced and logical。 This is a must-read。 I cried， raged， despaired， and learned reading these essays and short stories。 Du Bois' voice is consistently clear and articulate: excellent writing。 I found his perspective balanced and logical。 This is a must-read。 。。。more
Anjali
，
A moving， lyrical collection of essays by W。E。B。 Du Bois that examines the African-American experience in the post-Civil War era。 Du Bois is a very poetic writer and his use of figurative language meant that I was often rereading passages to make sure I really took in what he was saying。 The essays span a wide variety of issues and and Du Bois manages to make his writing both intelligent and emotional， a difficult balance to achieve。
Jonathan Psotka
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A historic text that remains quite readable， though you may need to keep Google at hand to follow the regular references to 1903 current events， when a resurgent white supremacy in America had eliminated most of the gains from the 1860s-70s。 Many of the essays read like New Yorker articles， and many are deeply spiritual。 It includes moving discussions of racism， civil rights， what its like to be a black intellectual， early sketches of his thoughts on Reconstruction he would later flesh out in hi A historic text that remains quite readable， though you may need to keep Google at hand to follow the regular references to 1903 current events， when a resurgent white supremacy in America had eliminated most of the gains from the 1860s-70s。 Many of the essays read like New Yorker articles， and many are deeply spiritual。 It includes moving discussions of racism， civil rights， what its like to be a black intellectual， early sketches of his thoughts on Reconstruction he would later flesh out in his full history of the subject （that flew in the face of predominant historical thought）， and the experience of poor blacks in the south。 Some of his writing is marred by his adoption of certain racist American norms， for instance his apparent concession that loafing among poor blacks was a moral failing as opposed to a form of resistance。 He also has a bad habit of conflating northern capitalists with Jews， adopting another racist southern trope。 For all that it's a foundational text in American literature and the modern civil rights movement。 。。。more
Jill
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probably read this in college Western Civ。 Re-read this year bc WEB DuBois features medium heavy in Ida B Wells’ biography， as a thinking side of the debate between himself and Booker T Washington re: whether it was best in the 1900s to train black folk as thinkers vs artisans / craftsmen。 This book stings because the arguments are still relevant but all sublimated now。 Not surprising。 Worth the reread。 This edition finishes with including “The Souls of White Folk” which is a particularly strong probably read this in college Western Civ。 Re-read this year bc WEB DuBois features medium heavy in Ida B Wells’ biography， as a thinking side of the debate between himself and Booker T Washington re: whether it was best in the 1900s to train black folk as thinkers vs artisans / craftsmen。 This book stings because the arguments are still relevant but all sublimated now。 Not surprising。 Worth the reread。 This edition finishes with including “The Souls of White Folk” which is a particularly strong closing smack。 。。。more
Ofa Fotu
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Holy smokes。This book was powerful。 It is a mix of social observation， analysis， research synthesis， and narrative。The narrative absolutely shook me。 Most of it is on the Reformation period of America。He describes the idea of the color line， the veil， and double-consciousness。 Oh my gosh - chapter 11 had be weeping。 So did the chapter about John and his sister Jenny。Du Bois was an absolute artist - as well as incredible thinker （I feel strange acknowledging that， because he is …。just so good tha Holy smokes。This book was powerful。 It is a mix of social observation， analysis， research synthesis， and narrative。The narrative absolutely shook me。 Most of it is on the Reformation period of America。He describes the idea of the color line， the veil， and double-consciousness。 Oh my gosh - chapter 11 had be weeping。 So did the chapter about John and his sister Jenny。Du Bois was an absolute artist - as well as incredible thinker （I feel strange acknowledging that， because he is …。just so good that it seems obvious， but I'm a bit overwhelmed by what I read just now so I'm going with it。。。）I probably need to read it again in a couple years， because there was just so much。。。thick content。 。。。more
De'Andre Crenshaw
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This was a fascinating read， and I appreciated his critic of the emerging consensus at the time that minorities should only pursue jobs as workers and not intellectuals。 He puts firmly the importance of both for the long term sustainability of Blacks。 If we don't have our own intellectuals as capital invests in tech our place in society is never stable we need to be able to， and to be part of those conversations， and training for new careers and fields to be full citizens。 This was a fascinating read， and I appreciated his critic of the emerging consensus at the time that minorities should only pursue jobs as workers and not intellectuals。 He puts firmly the importance of both for the long term sustainability of Blacks。 If we don't have our own intellectuals as capital invests in tech our place in society is never stable we need to be able to， and to be part of those conversations， and training for new careers and fields to be full citizens。 。。。more
Jessica
，
This took me a long time to read， but it was filled with so much information。 I was very saddened by so many things in this book， but it was beautifully written。 The saddest thing about this books is that over 100 years after it was written， people of color are still dealing with the same struggles。 So many of the comments in this book are hitting close to home in the present world。
Zhivko Kabaivanov
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The Souls of Black Folk （1903） details the conditions of African Americans in the years after the end of slavery。 By examining issues such as education， economic opportunities， and the interaction between Black and White Americans， Du Bois highlights the challenging legacy of slavery and the disempowering effects of the racism and segregation that followed。
Lillian
，
Attention those who are serious about becoming antiracists。Do read all the contemporary literature but I encourage you to go back to this foundational， extraordinary work。 The Souls of Black Folk along with all of James Baldwin's nonfiction should be required reading first of all。Seminal。 Attention those who are serious about becoming antiracists。Do read all the contemporary literature but I encourage you to go back to this foundational， extraordinary work。 The Souls of Black Folk along with all of James Baldwin's nonfiction should be required reading first of all。Seminal。 。。。more
Sarah
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What I didn’t know about reconstruction could be put it into a book！ Yes。 Heartbreakingly important vignettes， beautifully crafted， each chapter better than the last。
Fred Kohn
，
What a magnificent book！ It made me aware of how woefully ignorant I am of African American history。 I had to read chapter two twice because I got so bogged down in unfamiliar facts。 But for me the most beautiful part of the book was the last few chapters where Du Bois discusses the spiritual lives of black people。 His prose is outstanding throughout the book， but he really shines at the end。
Jean Christian
，
There a lot to take from this work。 A critical insight regarding a period of time that I， and I suspect many other people， know little about。 The period immediately following the end， and failures， of reconstruction。 However， there is a distance， a barrier， that DuBois erects between himself and the people of the black belt。 Maybe that’s semantics， maybe it’s unimportant considering what’s offered in the text， the honesty regarding the conditions of subjection for the freedmen。 Regardless， I sti There a lot to take from this work。 A critical insight regarding a period of time that I， and I suspect many other people， know little about。 The period immediately following the end， and failures， of reconstruction。 However， there is a distance， a barrier， that DuBois erects between himself and the people of the black belt。 Maybe that’s semantics， maybe it’s unimportant considering what’s offered in the text， the honesty regarding the conditions of subjection for the freedmen。 Regardless， I still found the barrier to be interesting。 I think I’ll have to come back to this one day。 I liked this passage so I’ll end with it:“And the final product of our training must be neither a psychologist nor a brickmason， but a man。 And to make men， we must have ideals， broad， pure， and inspiring ends of living，-not sordid money getting， not apples of gold。 The worker must work for the glory of his handiwork， not simply for pay; the thinker must think for truth， not fame” （pg 61）。 。。。more
Richard Bakare
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It is awe inspiring and yet heartbreaking that in 1903 W。E。B。 Du Bois could so masterfully identify and unpack the struggles of Black America and caution against what would come in the future if the issues were not addressed。 From this future point of view， we can see just how timeless and correct his insights were。 Du Bois is the real-life Harry Seldon charting a course of a Foundationn of promise for the Black population。 The thread of the critical and pressing need for the access and funding It is awe inspiring and yet heartbreaking that in 1903 W。E。B。 Du Bois could so masterfully identify and unpack the struggles of Black America and caution against what would come in the future if the issues were not addressed。 From this future point of view， we can see just how timeless and correct his insights were。 Du Bois is the real-life Harry Seldon charting a course of a Foundationn of promise for the Black population。 The thread of the critical and pressing need for the access and funding of education for all， rings like a bitter echo against the daily news of cuts to and limiting of education today。 Additionally， Dubois identified then what is plainly true today， the access to the ballot box is the definitive path to self determination as a human being， as a people， and as a nation。 Without it， we are disenfranchised and dehumanized。 For all of the pain and misery shared， there is still so much beauty in his style and visionary perspective。 Through eloquent and moving prose， Dubois captures the beauty of a people who look to some semblance of a better tomorrow despite all of the bitter yesterdays。 He captures the sacrifices and gifts of Black America to an ungrateful nation。 All of this with only one ask， can you not see me as your brother？ 。。。more
Hyacinth
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There is SO much to unpack here。 Though originally published in 1903， in its antiquity， there is still so much relevance。 Although slavery is illegal， the mindset is still very much alive。 Some of what I heard disappointed me because years later， it would appear that this mindset has been abolished until you hear of the atrocities that African Americans are yet suffering。
Tra Houston
，
Every sentence W。E。B Du Bois writes is like a punch from Mike Tyson， it's all forward force。 Listened to the audiobook and at times you just feel punch-drunk as he hits you with another haymaker while you're still trying to recover from his previous。 A lot of rewinding， pausing， and bookmarks were needed and well worth it。 Reads like the Sociology of Black Folk with a lot of data on the black population of the US， both North and South， urban and rural。 When Du Bois does want to make an appeal of Every sentence W。E。B Du Bois writes is like a punch from Mike Tyson， it's all forward force。 Listened to the audiobook and at times you just feel punch-drunk as he hits you with another haymaker while you're still trying to recover from his previous。 A lot of rewinding， pausing， and bookmarks were needed and well worth it。 Reads like the Sociology of Black Folk with a lot of data on the black population of the US， both North and South， urban and rural。 When Du Bois does want to make an appeal of emotions his writing is beautifully poetic and personal。 All in this was a wonderful read and I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Sarah
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Very interesting historical perspective of African-Americans in 1903 and earlier。 There was a lot I didn't know from a historical context， like the Freedman's union， which advocated for education and opportunities for wealth building， etc。 Very interesting historical perspective of African-Americans in 1903 and earlier。 There was a lot I didn't know from a historical context， like the Freedman's union， which advocated for education and opportunities for wealth building， etc。 。。。more
Pam White
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What is so prescient about this book is that even though it was published in the early 20th Century， it's also relevant in the early 21st century。 What is so prescient about this book is that even though it was published in the early 20th Century， it's also relevant in the early 21st century。 。。。more
Ean Carr
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“Herein lies the tragedy of the age: not that men are poor， — all men know something of poverty; not that men are wicked， — who is good？ Not that men are ignorant， — what is Truth？ Nay， but that men know so little of men。“One ever feels his twoness， — an American， a Negro; two souls， two thoughts， two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body， whose strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder。”This is my first time ever reading something by W。E。B。 Du Bois。 My initial though “Herein lies the tragedy of the age: not that men are poor， — all men know something of poverty; not that men are wicked， — who is good？ Not that men are ignorant， — what is Truth？ Nay， but that men know so little of men。“One ever feels his twoness， — an American， a Negro; two souls， two thoughts， two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body， whose strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder。”This is my first time ever reading something by W。E。B。 Du Bois。 My initial thoughts are that I think he was an extremely intelligent individual。 The understanding he had of African Americans is unmatched of any people I have read。 I actually read Booker T。 Washington months before I read this， and I had no idea that there was a sort of disagreement in ideology between Washington and Du Bois。 Though， it requires further study for me to create an educated opinion on how I personally view the two。 I find that they both made significant contributions to the plight of African American in American after the American Civil War。 W。E。B Du Bois is an eloquent， poetic， and riveting writer。 At least， from my reading of “The Souls of Black Folk，” that is the impression that I have been left with。 I was somewhat ignorant coming into the reading of this。 I am glad I made the choice to read it though， I think anyone would benefit from reading this。 I was not too aware of the situation of African Americans after the Civil War during the reconstruction period。 Other than the time of the Jim Crow south， lynchings， and “separate but equal” SCOTUS decision， I haven’t read too many direct sources form this time period。 This book is both a historical recount and narrative about the aftereffects of slavery。 Slavery effected blacks and whites， especially in the south。 One of the biggest disparities is in educations。 Du Bois advocates for more academic opportunities for African Americans， not just learning technical skills like Booker T wanted them to。The fourteenth chapter with the selection of “Sorrow Songs” is definitely worth paying attention to。 Du Bois makes the point that there is a spiritual heritage of the nation。 The songs have been passed down through slavery and are connected with religion for African Americans。 Du Bois advocated for rights and advancements for African Americans; unlike Booker T wanting them to be complacent。 In the second quote I got the understanding that Du Bois was trying to make the point that African Americans had to be two people。 The African American that they really were and the American that they had to be。 It’s going to take some pondering for me to figure that out。 But what I understand from that is African Americans had their culture and experience which is unique to them。 But they also are a part of America and there are separate challenges that come along with that。 Especially for the time period that Du Bois is speaking about， 1903。 There were tremendous challenges to overcome， not only legally， but also with becoming educated。 I really agree with Du Bois’s view on education。 I read in Thomas Piketty’s “Capital in the 21st Century” that education is the one thing that decreases income inequality。 That was certainly true for the African Americans， it’s objectionable that there were legal challenges （and many other societal challenges） on top of that。Five stars because this book is not only eloquently comprised， but it also is a historical masterpiece。“The South believed an educated Negro to be a dangerous Negro。 And the South was not wholly wrong; for education among all kinds of men always has had， and always will have， an element of danger and revolution， of dissatisfaction and discontent。 Nevertheless， men strive to know。 。。。more
Christine O'Boyle
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Very important book。
Talya
，
Super interesting book that taught me a ton and helped me make connections between post-Civil War era and the current Prison Industrial Complex
Ribhav Pande
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So often referenced in discussions of the history and culture of African Americans， Du Bois' work is truly a seminal contribution to literature。I see the book in two parts。 The first part is a philosophical reflection on the meaning of freedom for 'Black Folk' and what the path ahead should look like。 The author talks about a 'Veil'， an invisible shroud that keeps the coloured folk apart from the white folk in America。 It pervades everyday life and keeps the 'othering' intact， proving to be a he So often referenced in discussions of the history and culture of African Americans， Du Bois' work is truly a seminal contribution to literature。I see the book in two parts。 The first part is a philosophical reflection on the meaning of freedom for 'Black Folk' and what the path ahead should look like。 The author talks about a 'Veil'， an invisible shroud that keeps the coloured folk apart from the white folk in America。 It pervades everyday life and keeps the 'othering' intact， proving to be a heavy burden on the coloured people。 He is a hopeful visionary who looks forward to an America where this Veil can be cast aside and the people be united。The philosophical reflections are also about what 'education' for his people truly means， and challenges the existing approach to 'industrial education' alone that makes the coloured man another tool to work。 He speaks of a broad based liberal education that is necessary to set his people free。The second part of the book is a more detailed description of the quotidian life and challenges of the 'Negro' in America， especially the South。 He describes how post Emancipation， the freemen were never totally free given the system of economic exploitation interplaying with the biased justice system that kept the coloured man in a perpetual cycle of bondage。 A lot of his people took up agriculture， growing cotton， but the system they faced was akin to what Zamindari exploitation meant in India。 Falling prices of cotton in the late 1800s didn't help their cause。 He describes the relations between the blacks and whites through 4 lines of action and communication: 1） physical proximity， 2） economic relations， 3） political relations， and 4） religious enterprise。 The elaborate discussion is illuminating for any reader curious to know about this life at the turn of the 20th century。 This also traces the origins of the systemic racism that African Americans faced even today in the US。 The cycle of economic exploitation， the biased criminal justice system that never took a reformative approach， Du Bois lays it all out。 That said， he doesn't blame the whites entirely。 He is frank about the shortcomings of his people， is stinging in his critique but also positive about the scope of change that he had the opportunity to witness。Du Bois also records a rich discussion on what religion means to his people。 He traces the popularity of the Baptist Church to scattered origins in slave plantations， where a slave's faith meant a sort of escape or coping mechanism with tough reality。 The slave owner was happy to let his slave have their own methods of adjusting to the said reality。 This aspirational faith of course flourished once slave ownership was abolished。The book ends with a chapter 'The Sorrow Songs'， which discusses the music of the 'Negro people' that traces its origins to Africa。 Towards the end of this chapter， he asks， 'Your country？ How came it yours？'。 He then lists the contributions of his people – the gift of story and song， the gift of sweat and brawn， the gift of the Spirit – and asks， 'Would America have been America without her Negro people？'This book was written in 1903。 For its time， and through the century till today， it is truly a remarkable work。 。。。more
Chris Zhang
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A fantastic lens into the psychological， economic， spiritual， political， and cultural groundings of post-Reconstruction America。 Many of the lessons and words that DuBois put forward still ring true in their own expressions here in the 21st century。The essays that particularly rang out to me were:"Of Booker T。 Washington and Others，""Of the Sons of Master and Man，""Of the Faith of the Fathers，""Of the Passing of the First-Born，""Of Alexander Crummel，"and"Of the Coming of John。"I also had the 150 A fantastic lens into the psychological， economic， spiritual， political， and cultural groundings of post-Reconstruction America。 Many of the lessons and words that DuBois put forward still ring true in their own expressions here in the 21st century。The essays that particularly rang out to me were:"Of Booker T。 Washington and Others，""Of the Sons of Master and Man，""Of the Faith of the Fathers，""Of the Passing of the First-Born，""Of Alexander Crummel，"and"Of the Coming of John。"I also had the 150 year anniversary edition which included two fantastic essays:"The Talented Tenth"and"The Souls of White Folk。"I'd highly recommend reading those essays separately if your edition does not include them。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Souls of Black Folk
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Souls of Black Folk&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft