"America's black intellectuals - writers, historians, educators, and community activists - have made major contributions to the struggle for equality and human rights throughout American public life.
The key streams of thought that gave rise to the intellectual traditions associated with African Americans emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries. These same traditions continue to develop and influence social and political processes today.
This tome presents the collected writings of those titans of thought who laid the intellectual, cultural, and even emotional foundations for the modern African American movement.
Frederick Douglass; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Harriet Ann Jacobs; Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Booker T. Washington; Up from Slavery
W.E.B. Du Bois; The Gift of Black Folk"
"Raymond Hearn, the narrator of this edition, did an incredible rendition similar to what he did for The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas
"EITHER AMERICA WILL DESTROY IGNORANCE OR IGNORANCE WILL DESTROY THE UNITED STATES." -W.E.B. Du Bois
This classic groundbreaking work of American literature first published in 1903 is a cornerstone of African-American literary history and a seminal work in the field of sociology.
W.E.B. Du Bois, who drew from his own experiences as an African-American living in American society, explores the concept of "double-consciousness"-a term he uses to describe living as an African-American and having a "sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others."
With Du Bois' examination of Black life in post-Civil War America, his explanation of the meaning of emancipation and its effect, and his views on the roles of the black leaders of his time, The Souls of Black Folk is one of the important early works in the field of sociology. His fourteen essays have had a lasting impact on civil rights and the discussion of race in the United States. The essays include these topics:
"OUR" SPIRITUAL STRIVINGS
THE DAWN OF FREEDOM
MEANING OF PROGRESS
TRAINING OF BLACK MEN
THE SONS OF MASTER AND MAN
FAITH OF THE FATHERS
SORROW SONGS
AND MORE
WILLIAM EDWARD BURGHARDT DU BOIS (1868-1963) was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, writer and editor. Born in Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a relatively tolerant and integrated community, and after completing graduate work at the University of Berlin and Harvard, (where he was the first African-American to earn a doctorate), he became a professor of history, sociology and economics at Atlanta University. Du Bois was one of the founders of the NAACP."
"William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868-1963) is the greatest of African American intellectuals--a sociologist, historian, novelist, and activist whose 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, Du Bois penned his epochal masterpiece, The Souls of Black Folk, in 1903. It remains his most studied and popular work; its insights into life at the turn of the 20th century still ring true.
This landmark book is a founding work in the literature of black protest. W. E. B. Du Bois (1868-1963) played a key role in developing the strategy and program that dominated early 20th-century black protest in America. In this collection of essays, first published together in 1903, he eloquently affirms that it is beneath the dignity of a human being to beg for those rights that belong inherently to all mankind. He also charges that the strategy of accommodation to white supremacy advanced by Booker T. Washington, then the most influential black leader in America, would only serve to perpetuate black oppression.
Publication of The Souls of Black Folk was a dramatic event that helped to polarize black leaders into two groups: the more conservative followers of Washington and the more radical supporters of aggressive protest. Its influence cannot be overstated. It is essential reading for everyone interested in African-American history and the struggle for civil rights in America."
"The Quest of the Silver Fleece is a story of romance, race, economics and politics set around the 1900s. Here, a traditionally educated boy and an unschooled "swamp girl" each begin a journey toward love, ambition and redemption in the "Old South." (Summary by AJai Hilton)"
"W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the most influential African- Americans of the 20th century, made significant societal contributions as a teacher, writer, and founding director of the NAACP. The Quest of the Silver Fleece reflects the attitudes and mindset of Americans-Northerners and Southerners, rich and poor, Black and White-at the dawn of the century. The Silver Fleece, cotton, could be the answer to Zora and Bles' prayers in overcoming poverty. While attending Miss Smith's School in rural Alabama, they lovingly nurture their crop. But, the white aristocracy is determined to control the price of cotton and monopolize the market. Can two young lovers prevail despite the daunting obstacles laid before them?"
