W. E. B. Du Bois
W. E. B. Du Bois (1868-1963) was an American sociologist, historian, author, and civil-rights pioneer, one of the most important intellectuals in American history. A founder of the NAACP and a towering scholar, he spent his long life fighting for racial justice and reshaping how America understood race.
His masterpiece, The Souls of Black Folk (1903), is a landmark of American literature and social thought — a series of eloquent essays on the experience of Black Americans after slavery, which introduced enduring concepts like the 'color line' and 'double consciousness.' He also wrote the novel The Quest of the Silver Fleece, along with a vast body of history, sociology, and journalism.
The first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard, Du Bois combined rigorous scholarship with soaring, poetic prose. His writing remains essential to understanding American history and the ongoing struggle for equality.
Our editions present his work clearly for modern readers. Read the opening free, and read or listen with a membership.
W. E. B. Du Bois in the library · 2 works
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Frequently asked questions about W. E. B. Du Bois
What did W. E. B. Du Bois write?
Du Bois wrote in many forms — sociology, history, essays, and fiction. His most famous work is The Souls of Black Folk (1903), a collection of essays on Black American life. He also wrote the novel The Quest of the Silver Fleece, the pioneering study The Philadelphia Negro, and the history Black Reconstruction in America. The Souls of Black Folk is his defining work.
What is The Souls of Black Folk about?
The Souls of Black Folk is a series of powerful essays exploring the experience, history, and inner life of Black Americans in the decades after slavery. In it, Du Bois introduced the famous ideas of the 'color line' — his prediction that race would be the central problem of the 20th century — and 'double consciousness,' the sense of seeing oneself through the eyes of a prejudiced society. It is a foundational text of American literature and civil rights.
What is 'double consciousness'?
'Double consciousness' is one of Du Bois's most influential ideas, introduced in The Souls of Black Folk. It describes the internal conflict of experiencing one's identity as split — being both an American and a Black person in a society that devalues Blackness — and always seeing oneself, in part, through the eyes of a hostile world. The concept has shaped discussions of identity and race ever since.
Where should I start with Du Bois?
Start with The Souls of Black Folk, his masterpiece and most accessible major work. Its essays can be read individually, and its blend of scholarship, memoir, and eloquence makes it a powerful introduction to his thought. His novel The Quest of the Silver Fleece is a good next step if you'd like his fiction.
Why is W. E. B. Du Bois important?
Du Bois was a founder of the NAACP, the first African American to earn a Harvard doctorate, and one of the most influential thinkers on race in American history. His scholarship established the serious study of Black life, and his ideas and activism shaped the civil-rights movement. His writing remains central to understanding American history and society.
When did W. E. B. Du Bois live?
Du Bois lived from 1868 to 1963 — dying, fittingly, on the eve of the March on Washington. He published The Souls of Black Folk in 1903 and remained an active scholar and civil-rights leader for six more decades. His life spanned from just after slavery to the height of the modern civil-rights movement.
Where can I read Du Bois for free?
The Souls of Black Folk and The Quest of the Silver Fleece are in the public domain and freely available. Older editions keep the original text. Here you can read the openings free in clear modern English, and read or listen with a membership.
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