Du Bois - The Illustrated Souls of Black Folk

One can legitimately ask why there is a need to publish a new edition of W. E. B. Du Boiss masterpiece, The Souls of Black Folk. There are already numerous editions available, including an annotated version by the distinguished African-American scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. In part, this edition is intended to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of the book. Like Gatess edition of The Souls of Black Folk, this edition is annotated and also includes a critical introduction. It also provides pictorial and documentary sources to supplement the text.

I have drawn on period documents and sources, as well as illustrations and photographs, to supplement this text. Of greatest interest to me are the materials from The Exhibit of the American Negroes that was part of the 1900 Paris International Exposition. It is, in fact, the thesis of this work that much of the information and conceptualization of The Souls of Black Folk is a direct outgrowth of Du Boiss involvement with this pioneering and largely unheralded exhibit of sociological, cultural, and literary artifacts. As will be demonstrated in this work, echoes of the Paris exhibit can be found throughout The Souls of Black Folk.

I believe that there is a great deal that is new that can be said about The Souls of Black Folk. I also believe that different perspectives can prove helpful in looking at Du Bois and his work. I am a historian by training, and a cultural theorist and cultural archeologist by practice. Du Bois has particularly caught the attention of literary scholars in recent years, and while their insights are useful, they are by no means complete. The reader can be the judge of whether or not I have something new to contribute.

Finally, I am interested in creating an edition of The Souls of Black Folk that can be of particular use to scholars and students. I hope this work, through the inclusion of extensive illustrated materials and photographs, as well as original documents and sources from the period (written by both Du Bois and his contemporaries), will provide the reader with a deeper understanding of Du Boiss work and its significance not only as an historical document, but also as one of the most important political and cultural texts of the twentieth century.

In this special edition, each section or chapter of Du Boiss original work is accompanied by, not only annotations and illustrations, but also by a selected set of documents at the end. I have chosen these materials because of their relevance to the information and arguments made by Du Bois. In doing so, I hope to extend the readers access to related documents and resources, as well as add to the richness of this already engaging text.

I would like to thank the many people who have helped and encouraged me in my work on this project. Dean Birkenkamp at Paradigm Publishers has shown particular imagination and enthusiasm for this project. In doing so, he gives one faith in the enterprise of publishing and the creation of new books. Also special thanks go to Dianne Ewing, Michael Peirce, Beth Davis, and Alison Sullenberger at Paradigm Publishers.