The Souls of Black Folks by W.E.B. DuBois

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The Souls of Black Folks by W.E.B. DuBois



                A collection of essays that are as relevant today as they were over one hundred years ago. This should be surprising but if you are anywhere near the United States then you know that right now is a very turbulent time. Hate crimes are on the rise and the amount of apparent racism has soared. Nazis and the Klan are walking openly down the street. (I wish that was an exaggeration.) So to read a book, written by an educated Black man, written years after the end of the Civil War and witnessing how much progress has not been made is really disheartening.
                DuBois’s essays speak to the core of this nation. He writes about the Civil War and the failed Reconstruction era. He talks about the need to vote and the value of education. He talks about the lives he’s seen and the debt many owe. DuBois writes about himself and the need to teach and the need to learn. What I loved most about his writing was the way he was able to translate his observations, so honestly and eloquently. Once I got to use to his writing style which has a cadence wholly reminiscent of that time, I began to really appreciate him as an educator. This book was a very intimate look at the life of the freed people and the struggle to rise above. I give this 4 out of 5 stars.
                Books like these are still essential reading and will continue to be. We need to be able to look back at where we have been as a country in order to understand where we are right now. There were moments throughout this book that genuinely broke my heart because DuBois is an honest writer who wants you to see the world through him, regardless of if you like what you see.

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