The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches / by W.E. Burghardt Du Bois

W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt) Du Bois
A.C. McClurg & Co., 1903
Southern Civilization Collection
Vanderbilt University Special Collections

The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois is a landmark work in African American literature and sociology. This 1903 collection of essays that explore the experiences, struggles, and aspirations of African Americans in the post-Reconstruction era.  Du Bois highlights the economic, political, and cultural barriers preventing African Americans from achieving their potential and stresses that full equality and social justice are essential for true progress.