Overview
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, perhaps best known for his seminal work The Souls of Black Folk and as the founding editor of the NAACP's groundbreaking magazine The Crisis, was ever a soul in motion for justice. Whether he was protesting Jim Crow laws and lynch mobs in the Deep South, advocating for the end of European Colonialism, or campaigning for world peace, Du Bois was always speaking out for others.
This fascinating Up Close biography by award-winning author Tonya Bolden tells the story of how one man-tirelessly and never quietly? fought for equality until his death at age ninety-five.
Synopsis
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, perhaps best known for his seminal work The Souls of Black Folk and as the founding editor of the NAACP's groundbreaking magazine The Crisis, was ever a soul in motion for justice. Whether he was protesting Jim Crow laws and lynch mobs in the Deep South, advocating for the end of European Colonialism, or campaigning for world peace, Du Bois was always speaking out for others.
This fascinating Up Close biography by award-winning author Tonya Bolden tells the story of how one man—tirelessly and never quietly— fought for equality until his death at age ninety-five.
VOYA
These concise "Up Close Biographies" profile the lives of key twentieth-century people in the world of sports, the arts, politics, and science. These books, which each contain ten to sixteen chapters, comprise a series that is appropriate for ages twelve and older, but some titles may appeal to younger readers. W.E.B. DuBois, in contrast, lacks such insight. The book begins with a compelling portrayal of the activist's early years but evolves into a relatively flat description of DuBois's professional accomplishments. Readers are left to piece together bits and pieces of his personality—-references to his abrasive nature or the emotional neglect of his wife and child appear periodically, but they do not contribute much to a complete view of the man beyond the headlines. The writing is also choppy in some places where sentence fragments interrupt the flow of the story. Finally one factual error stands out early in the book—-the surprising claim is made that "the Democratic Party wouldn't become associated with black civil rights until the late twentieth century." This should read the middle of the twentieth century, given the important steps that key Democratic Party leaders took to expand black civil rights during the 1960s. Overall this biography should be a secondary purchase for collections where there is a demand for African American history. Reviewer: Nancy K. Wallace
Editorials
VOYA -
These concise "Up Close Biographies" profile the lives of key twentieth-century people in the world of sports, the arts, politics, and science. These books, which each contain ten to sixteen chapters, comprise a series that is appropriate for ages twelve and older, but some titles may appeal to younger readers. W.E.B. DuBois, in contrast, lacks such insight. The book begins with a compelling portrayal of the activist's early years but evolves into a relatively flat description of DuBois's professional accomplishments. Readers are left to piece together bits and pieces of his personality—-references to his abrasive nature or the emotional neglect of his wife and child appear periodically, but they do not contribute much to a complete view of the man beyond the headlines. The writing is also choppy in some places where sentence fragments interrupt the flow of the story. Finally one factual error stands out early in the book—-the surprising claim is made that "the Democratic Party wouldn't become associated with black civil rights until the late twentieth century." This should read the middle of the twentieth century, given the important steps that key Democratic Party leaders took to expand black civil rights during the 1960s. Overall this biography should be a secondary purchase for collections where there is a demand for African American history. Reviewer: Nancy K. WallaceSchool Library Journal
Gr 7 Up
The author covers her subject's life, which spanned 95 years, from Reconstruction to the modern Civil Rights Movement. Bolden includes Du Bois's childhood in Massachusetts, where he faced little racial discrimination, and his years at Fisk University, Harvard, and the University of Berlin. This balanced, lively account records his many contributions as a teacher, speaker, Civil Rights activist, sociologist, writer, and cofounder of several organizations, including the NAACP, as well as his failings. His extensive travels are noted, as is his fascination with the Communist governments of China and Russia. His personal life is mentioned, but not extensively. After dedicating his life to ending racism, he finally openly embraced Communism and moved to Ghana, where he spent the last years of his life.-Ann Nored, Wilson Central High School, Lebanon, TN