Synopsis

First published in 1920, this collection of essays, fiction, and poetry by Du Bois addresses questions of race, class, and gender. In his introduction Feagin (sociology, U. of Florida) notes that the collection was unrivaled in its time both for its insights and for its experimental presentation. The collection begins with an autobiographical essay, before moving to such matters as the impoverishment of Africa at the hands of European colonialism; the necessity of abandoning elite ownership of the means of production in order to achieve full emancipation; the importance of expanding women's economic, political, and procreation rights; and his usual trenchant observations on American racism and the institutional legacy of slavery.

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