Courses/Lectures
Each of the 34 courses available can be enrolled in individually, or in packages. Each course is an approximately 1-hour session that consists of the opportunity for the students to interact with the associated artifacts, and a discussion exercise tailored for your specific class in accordance with your teacher's curriculum/recommendations. If the Course List below doesn’t fit your needs, we can work together to develop the presentation you desire – from control of the discussion topics to selection of items to be presented.
W.E.B. DuBois: The Soul of Black America
After the death of Frederick Douglass, one man emerged above all others to offer a challenge to Washington's philosophy on the direction of Black America: William Edward Burghardt DuBois. He was a pioneering Black Sociologist, a founder of the NAACP and editor of its powerful literary arm the Crisis. Over the course of his life, DuBois’ pursuits for freedom and equality of people of color led to a continuous evolution in his ideology. Early in life, he was one of many to be extremely critical of Marcus Garvey, only to became a leading figure in the Pan-Africanist Movement. The collection seen here is a broad representation of his life and work, and includes a 1903 copy of his seminal work The Souls of Black Folk along with The Gifts of Black Folk, and other works which demonstrate DuBois' evolution from founder of the NAACP to the father of Pan-Africanism.
Artifacts: Four (4) 1st Edition books by DuBois, along with early editions of Crisis Magazine, June 1903 edition of Souls of Black Folk.
DuBois' The Souls of Black Folk, 1903 (2nd Printing) - Considered a masterpiece in the field of Sociology, DuBois' Souls of Black Folk was most in depth, critical analysis of the social conditions of African-Americans written to that point. In the set of essays contained in this worked, he identified concepts that were self-evident to most African-Americans but had not be labeled like "double consciousness," while making the case for the need for "The Talented Tenth" of Black America to serve their community and perpetuate their success. The ideology that DuBois emerges with from this book serves as the foundation for the creation of the NAACP and its focus on equality. The copy above was published in June, 1903 - just three months after the first edition in April, 1903.
DuBois' The Gift of Black Folk, 1924 (1st Edition) - Whereas The Souls of Black Folk was a critique of the conditions social in which African-Americans were forced to live in and what was needed for change, The Gift of Black Folk is a historical look at contributions made by African-Americans to the creation and evolution of America. Like Carter G. Woodson and other early historians, DuBois sought to highlight lesser known accomplishment of African-Americans to emphasize the message of equality.