The Souls of Black Folk, W. E. B. Du Bois
The Souls of Black Folk, W. E. B. Du Bois
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The Souls of Black Folk

Author: W. E. B. Du Bois

Narrator: Mirron Willis

Unabridged: 8 hr 33 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/12/2010

Synopsis

"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line," writes Du Bois, in one of the most prophetic works in all of American literature.First published in 1903, this collection of fifteen essays dared to describe the racism that prevailed at that time in America—and to demand an end to it. Du Bois' writing draws on his early experiences, from teaching in the hills of Tennessee, to the death of his infant son, to his historic break with the conciliatory position of Booker T. Washington.Du Bois received a doctorate from Harvard in 1895 and became a professor of economics and history at Atlanta University. His dynamic leadership in the cause of social reform on behalf of his fellow blacks anticipated and inspired much of the black activism of the 1960s.The Souls of Black Folk is a classic in the literature of civil rights. Far ahead of its time, The Souls of Black Folk both anticipated and inspired much of the black consciousness and activism of the 1960s. The elegance of Du Bois’ prose and the passion of his message are as crucial today as they were upon the book’s first publication.

About W. E. B. Du Bois

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868–1963) was a sociologist, historian, novelist, activist, and one of the greatest African American intellectuals. His astounding career spanned the nation’s history from Reconstruction to the civil rights movement. Born in Massachusetts and educated at Fisk, Harvard, and the University of Berlin, he penned his epochal masterpiece, The Souls of Black Folk, in 1903. It remains his most studied and popular work; its insights into black life at the turn of the century still ring true.

About Mirron Willis

Mirron Willis—actor of film, stage, and television—is the winner of the prestigious Audie Award for best narration in 2012 and a finalist for the Audie in 2015, as well as the winner of four AudioFile Earphones Awards for his audiobook recordings. He has worked extensively in film and television and on stage with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Houston Shakespeare Festival, and the Ensemble Theatre, among others. He has recorded some 150 audiobooks, including the Smokey Dalton series by Kris Nelscott and My Song by Harry Belafonte. He resides and records audiobooks on his family’s historic ranch in East Texas.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Bill on June 29, 2020

While reading Ta-Nehisi Coates' Between the World and Me, I asked myself whether any other book offered such penetrating insight into the black experience in equally impressive prose. The first name that came to me was The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois. The Souls of Black Folk was published......more

Goodreads review by B. P. on January 27, 2024

"I am black but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. Look not upon me, because I am black, Because the sun hath looked upon me: My mother's children were angry with me; They made me the keeper of the vineyards; But mine own vineyard have I not kept." - So......more

Goodreads review by mark on May 07, 2023

an imperfect book, made perfect by its imperfections. perfection is cold; this is a warm book, hot at times. complex and flawed and all too human; anger and mourning and judgment doled out in equal measures. Du Bois' sad and often seething voice rings from the page. surprisingly lush and stylized pr......more

Goodreads review by Roy on June 15, 2016

W.E.B. Du Bois was many things: pioneering social scientist, historian, activist, social critic, writer—and, most of all, a heck of a lot smarter than me. I say this because, while reading these essays, I had the continuous, nagging feeling of mental strain, which I found hard to account for. There......more

Goodreads review by Paul on February 21, 2025

The soul and strength of Black America, and the travails and injustices confronting Black Americans, come through with undeniable force in W.E.B. Du Bois’s The Souls of Black Folk (1903). This collection of essays is every bit as powerful in its examination of American racism as it was when it was f......more

Quotes

“Mirron E. Willis breathes fresh power and spirit into Du Bois’s seminal work on the Black American experience and the ‘double consciousness’ that comes from living in a racist culture.” Audible.com

“Thanks to W. E. B. Du Bois’ commitment and foresight—and the intellectual excellence expressed in this timeless literary gem—Black Americans can today look in the mirror and rejoice in their beautiful Black, brown, and beige reflections.” Amazon.com

“[A] masterpiece.” Booklist

“The negro point of view, even the Northern negro’s point of view, must have its value to any unprejudiced student—still more, perhaps, for the prejudiced who is yet willing to be a student.” New York Times (circa 1903)

“The boycott of the buses in Montgomery had many roots…but none more important than this little book of essays published more than half a century [before].” Saunders Redding, author of A Scholar’s Conscience

Awards

  • Audible Pick of the Best Audio Version of a Classic
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