W.E.B. Du Bois
The most important African American intellectual of the 20th century, Du Bois co-founded the NAACP and introduced the concept of double consciousness—the experience of being both Black and American in a racist society. The Souls of Black Folk is among the greatest works of American nonfiction. He died in Ghana at 95.
Works
- The Souls of Black FolkEssays analyzing African American identity, culture, and racial oppression in America
- Dark PrincessUtopian novel imagining international Black political and spiritual awakening
- Quest of the Silver FleeceNovel exploring Black rural life, education, and resistance in the South
- Dusk of DawnAutobiographical account of Du Bois' life and intellectual development
- Black ReconstructionHistorical analysis of Black agency and resistance during Reconstruction era
- The Philadelphia NegroSociological study of African American communities in Philadelphia
- DarkwaterEssays on race, gender, colonialism, and African American intellectual life
- Black Reconstruction in AmericaScholarly work examining Reconstruction and Black political participation afterward