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Secondary sourceBook18 April 1903

The Souls of Black Folk

W. E. B. Du Bois · 18 April 1903

W. E. B. Du Bois's 1903 essay collection, which criticizes Booker T. Washington's program of accommodation and industrial education.

Du Bois's book directly challenges Washington's strategy of accommodation, showing the central debate of Washington's era.

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Title page of The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches by W. E. Burghardt Du Bois, Second Edition, with a printer's device reading A. C. McClurg, and imprint Chicago, A. C. McClurg & Co., 1903.
W. E. B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk, title page, 1903.

About this source

What it is

The Souls of Black Folk is a collection of essays by W. E. B. Du Bois, published in 1903. It includes a chapter directly criticizing Booker T. Washington's strategy of industrial education, conciliation with the white South, and submission on political rights.

Why it matters

This book is the classic contemporary counterargument to Washington's leadership, introducing ideas like

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Booker T. Washington on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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