African American Intellectual History W. E. B. Du Bois Black Folk Then and Now First Edition 1939 Study of African and Diaspora History

W E. B. Du Bois

First Edition

Du Bois, W. E. B. Black Folk Then and Now published in 1939 presents a historical and sociological study of African and African Diaspora history written by one of the leading intellectual figures of the twentieth century Civil Rights movement. Du Bois, historian, sociologist, and co founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, wrote the work in response to long standing claims within Euro American scholarship that people of African descent lacked a coherent historical tradition. The book develops Du Bois’s analysis of the “color line,” a concept he identified as the defining global problem of the twentieth century, and situates the history of African peoples within a broader narrative of world history and modern racial inequality.

Du Bois, W. E. B. Black Folk Then & Now: An Essay in the History and Sociology of the Negro Race. New York: Henry Holt, 1939. First edition, first printing. In this work Du Bois traces the development of African civilizations and the global African diaspora beginning with societies of the African continent and continuing through the Atlantic slave trade and the emergence of modern racial hierarchies. The text discusses major geographic regions including the Niger, Congo, and Nile river systems before examining the forced migration of Africans across the Atlantic and the social and economic structures that shaped Black life in the Americas. Du Bois also incorporates biographical discussions of significant historical figures including Toussaint Louverture, Benedict the Moor, and Alexandre Dumas.

The publication reflects Du Bois’s broader intellectual project of documenting the history of people of African descent across continents and historical periods. His scholarship combined historical narrative with sociological analysis in order to challenge dominant racial theories circulating in early twentieth century academic and political discourse. The work also foreshadows Du Bois’s later involvement in international Pan African movements that emphasized the shared historical experience of African and diaspora communities. Octavo volume measuring approximately 9.5 × 5.5 inches. 401 pages. Original cloth binding in publisher’s dust jacket. Dust jacket shows wear and chipping at the upper front cover with some paper loss along the top edge; previous ownership name on pastedown. Text block remains clean and well preserved. Very good condition overall with the dust jacket in fair condition and an important work of African American historical scholarship.

Item #20925

Price: $1,250.00