Publisher Description
A cornerstone of African-American literary history, The Souls of Black Folk is a classic work by W. E. B. Du Bois.
Originally published in 1903, it contains many essays on race and equality, but is also a piece of seminal history as laying the groundwork for the field of sociology. Some of the essays in the novel were even previously published by the Atlantic Monthly magazine. When writing, Du Bois drew from his personal experiences as an African American in America to highlight the issues of prejudice that were still going on into the twentieth century.
Download and start listening now!
“Listeners will quickly realize that Du Bois’s classic treatise on life in a post-slavery US society still has resonance today. Du Bois examines how black progress was systematically obstructed for two generations after the abolition of slavery. He also discusses the unique and creative ways in which African-Americans must negotiate a system that regularly dehumanizes them and takes their lives. With a light crackle in his voice, narrator Rodney Gardiner captures listeners’ attention, but it’s his rhythmic intonation that proves most appealing. His ability to emphasize the most important elements in each sentence while maintaining its cadence carries listeners through the production, making this a powerful experience.”
—
AudioFile
About W. E. B. Du Bois
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868–1963) was a sociologist, historian, novelist, activist, and one of the greatest African American intellectuals. His astounding career spanned the nation’s history from Reconstruction to the civil rights movement. Born in Massachusetts and educated at Fisk, Harvard, and the University of Berlin, he penned his epochal masterpiece, The Souls of Black Folk, in 1903. It remains his most studied and popular work; its insights into black life at the turn of the century still ring true.