The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches

Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1868, William Edward Burghardt Du Bois first came face to face with the realities of racism in 19th century America while attending Fisk University in Nashville. While completing his graduate studies at Harvard Du Bois wrote an exhaustive study of the history of the slave trade -- it is still considered one of the most comprehensive on that subject. In 1895 Du Bois became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. In 1897, Du Bois took a position with Atlanta University. During his tenure there he conducted extensive studies of the social conditions of blacks in America. At the 1900 Paris World's Fair, Du Bois created a full-scale exhibit of African American achievement since the Emancipation Proclamation in industrial work, literature, and journalism. In 1903 he wrote The Souls of Black.