Du Bois: A Critical Introduction

by Reiland Rabaka

Overview

W.E.B Du Bois is widely considered one of the most accomplished and controversial African American intellectuals in U.S. history. A pioneering historian, sociologist, political economist, and civil rights activist, his masterpiece The Souls of Black Folk remains one of the most widely read books in the history of American literature.

In this new book, Reiland Rabaka critically explores Du Bois’s multidimensional legacy, lucidly introducing his main contributions in areas ranging from American sociology and critical race studies to black feminism and black Marxism. Rabaka argues that Du Bois’s corpus, particularly when attention is given to his contributions to the critique of racism, sexism, capitalism and colonialism, can be persuasively interpreted as both an undeniable and unprecedented contribution to the origins and evolution of one of our most important contemporary critical concepts: intersectionality.

Du Bois: A Critical Introduction is an indispensable resource for scholars and students of history, sociology, politics, and economics. It will also be very valuable for those working in interdisciplinary fields, ranging from African American studies, critical race studies, and critical white studies to black feminism, black Marxism, and black internationalism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781509519255
Publisher:	Polity Press
Publication date:	06/01/2021
Series:	Key Contemporary Thinkers
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	813,242
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

REILAND RABAKA is Professor of African, African American, and Caribbean Studies in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is also a Research Fellow in the College of Human Sciences at the University of South Africa (UNISA).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments viii

Introduction: Du Bois's Lifework 1

1 The Philadelphia Negro: Early Work and the' Inauguration of American Sociology 11

2 The Souls of Black Folk: Critique of Racism and Contributions to Critical Race Studies 41

3 "The Souls of White Folk": Critique of White Supremacy and Contributions to Critical White Studies 64

4 "The Damnation of Women": Critique of Patriarchy Contributions to Black Feminism, and Early Intersectionality 95

5 Black Reconstruction: Critique of Capitalism, Contributions to Black Marxism, and Discourse on Democratic Socialism 121

Conclusion: Du Bois's Legacy 157

Notes 162

Index 204

Editorial Reviews

In this his latest book, Professor Rabaka—an excellent analyst— makes yet another outstanding contribution to scholarship, by focusing intensively on the protean Du Bois.”
Gerald Horne, University of Houston [and author of Race Woman: The Lives of Shirley Graham Du Bois]

“In this original, thought-provoking, and thoroughly researched book, Reiland Rabaka offers an incisive analysis of W.E.B. Du Bois's rich political ideas— charting his evolution of thought, contributions to several fields of study, and enduring legacies.”
Keisha N. Blain, University of Pittsburgh and author of Set the World on Fire: Black Nationalist Women and the Global Struggle for Freedom

“Du Bois: A Critical Introduction is an informative, thoughtful, and skilful introduction to Du Bois’s work and an important contribution to the scholarship on Du Bois.”
Ethnic and Racial Studies

From the Publisher