The Souls of Black Folk opens with the promise thatsomething hidden away is about to be brought to light:"Herein lie buried many strange things," author W. E. B. Du Bois tells us, "which ff read with patience may show the strange meaning of being black here at the dawning of the Twentieth Century." And then, as though he fears the promise of such an exotic secret will not be quite enough (or, given his predominantly white audience, perhaps a bit too much), the author tells us why we should care: "This meaning is not without interest to you, Gentle Reader; for the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color line."

INTRODUCTION

CHRONOLOGY OF W. E. B. Du BoIs"s LIFE AND WORK

HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF The Souls of Black Folk

 THE SOULS OF

 BLACK FOLK

  THE FORETHOUGHT

I. OF OUR SPIRITUAL STRIVINGS

II. OF THE DAWN OF FREEDOM

In. OF MR. BOOKER T. WASHINGTON AND OTHERS

IV. OF THE MEANING OF PROGRESS

V. OF THE WINGS OF ATALANTA

VI. OF THE TRAINING OF BLACK MEN

VII. OF THE BLACK BELT

VIII. OF THE OUEST OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE

IX. OF THE SONS OF MASTER AND MAN

X. OF THE FAITH OF THE FATHERS

XI. OF THE PASSING OF THE FIRST-BORN

XlI. OF ALEXANDER CRUMMELL

XIII. OF THE COMING OF JOHN

XIV. OF THE SORROW SONGS

THE AFTERTHOUGHT

NOTES

INTERPRETIVE NOTES

CRITICAL EXCERPTS

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE INTERESTED READER