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A review by analyticalchaos
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
4.0
The Souls of Black Folk is evocative and flowing. The prose twists into engaging stories that showcase Du Bois' raw wit and thoughtful reflections. From his experiences as a teacher to critiques of Booker T. Washington's philosophies, Du Bois is deft with word choice and is direct about his perceptions of Black America.
Occasionally, his writing would bog me down. There were extraneous tangents about Reconstruction history that felt obvious. However, I understand that DuBois was trying to create a cohesive narrative, and the history served as background.
What stuck out to me was the inclusive approach to portraying Black culture. Du Bois was very historical, but he also added musical and sociological perspectives. Every chapter had a line or two of Christian revival music that I would plunk out on the piano. I enjoyed the creative details throughout his writing.
I recommend this book. I believe that many Americans will know most of the content. The value in The Souls of Black Folk lies in how relevant his suggestions are today. Even though a century has passed, the issues of the "Color Line" still permeate American society.
Occasionally, his writing would bog me down. There were extraneous tangents about Reconstruction history that felt obvious. However, I understand that DuBois was trying to create a cohesive narrative, and the history served as background.
What stuck out to me was the inclusive approach to portraying Black culture. Du Bois was very historical, but he also added musical and sociological perspectives. Every chapter had a line or two of Christian revival music that I would plunk out on the piano. I enjoyed the creative details throughout his writing.
I recommend this book. I believe that many Americans will know most of the content. The value in The Souls of Black Folk lies in how relevant his suggestions are today. Even though a century has passed, the issues of the "Color Line" still permeate American society.