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6 - The Legacy of W. E. B. DuBois

Slavery and Race in Southern and American History

from Part III - Understanding Slavery, Race, and Inequality in the American South

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2024

Lacy K. Ford
Affiliation:
University of South Carolina
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Summary

This chapter addresses the contributions of the Black scholar W. E. B. DuBois, one of the most important American intellectuals of the twentieth century. His influence on historical scholarship through The Souls of Black Folk (1903) and Black Reconstruction (1935) created a field in Black history. Souls of Black Folk introduced the idea of the “two-ness” of the Black experience in the United States, and lent the DuBois prestige he used as a co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Black Reconstruction challenged the existing literature emphasizing the democratic achievements of Black politicians during Reconstruction. DuBois’ work inspired impressive later work on slave resistance, slave communities, slave religion, the slave family, and slave political awareness, as well as a reinterpretation of the Reconstruction era as one of expanding democracy. DuBois’ work stood as the basis for an anti-triumphalist interpretive thrust to American history, a thrust which persists down to the present day.

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Chapter
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Understanding the American South
Slavery, Race, Identity, and the American Century
, pp. 139 - 168
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • The Legacy of W. E. B. DuBois
  • Lacy K. Ford, University of South Carolina
  • Book: Understanding the American South
  • Online publication: 05 December 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009522038.010
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  • The Legacy of W. E. B. DuBois
  • Lacy K. Ford, University of South Carolina
  • Book: Understanding the American South
  • Online publication: 05 December 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009522038.010
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Legacy of W. E. B. DuBois
  • Lacy K. Ford, University of South Carolina
  • Book: Understanding the American South
  • Online publication: 05 December 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009522038.010
Available formats
×