The Gift of Black Folk

* A REVISED EDITION OF THE W. E. B. DU BOIS CLASSIC * COMMISSIONED BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS (1.4 MILLION MEMBERS WORLDWIDE) Although the Civil War marked an end to slavery in the United States, it would take another fifty years to establish the country’s civil rights movement. Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois was among the first generation of African-American scholars to spearhead this movement towards equality. As cofounder of the NAACP, he sought to initiate equality through social change, and as a talented writer, he created books and essays that provide a revealing glimpse into the black experience of the times. In The Gift of Black Folk— one of Du Bois' most important works—he recounts the remarkable history of African Americans and their many unsung contributions to American society. Commissioned by the Knights of Columbus Historical Commission and produced in 1924 at the height of the country's Black Renaissance. The Gift of Black Folk represents one of the first critically acclaimed black histories. In it, Dr. Du Bois chronicled the role of blacks in the early exploration of America, the crucial parts they played in developing the country’s agricultural industry, and the courage they displayed on the many battlefields of our young nation. He documented their creative genius in virtually every aspect of American culture—music, painting, sculpture, literature, theater, and invention. He also highlighted the unique contributions of black women, proposing the idea that their freedom could lead to freedom for all women. The year 2009 marked two important events: the one-hundred-year anniversary of the founding of the NAACP, and the inauguration of the country's first African-American president. How timely that The Gift of Black Folk is now back in print, providing a powerful picture of the struggles that paved the way for freedom and equality in our nation.

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, a gifted writer, scholar, sociologist, historian, and activist, became the first African-American to receive a PhD from Harvard University in 1895. An exponent of full equality for African- Americans, Du Bois was a cofounder of the Niagara Movement, which became the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909. A leading voice of the black community, Dr. Du Bois’ teachings, writings, and lectures provided a platform for his views that prompted action and change. Until his death in 1963, W.E.B. Du Bois led a passionate life of ceaseless energy and purposeful writing.