“THE NEGRO” BY DU BOIS

“The Negro” by Du Bois

“The Negro” by Du Bois

Introduction

“The Negro” (1915) is the first English-language history of peoples of African descent. It was written by W. E. B. DuBois. The volume offered a comprehensive overview of contemporary scholarship and emerging theories of African history and culture. In his preface to the volume, DuBois noted that new and emerging scholarship in African history, archaeology, and anthropology. Yet, in the absence of such substantial literature, he ventured to provide an initial history of Negro peoples. The volume included 12 chapters that included subjects such as “The Coming of Black Ben,” “The War of Races at Land's End”, and “The Negro Problems.” (Du Bois, 1915)

In addition to the chapters, The Negro included relevant maps and suggestions for further reading. British and American editions appeared in May 1915. This paper provides the summary of “The Negro” by Du Bois.

Summary

Dr. Du Bois has contributed this small book to the Home University Library Series, with the promise of a possible larger book later, in which he gives a summarized statement of the situation of the Negro in the world's history. The subject is of course entirely too large for the size of the book but the result is a study which is extremely suggestive and which furnishes a stimulus and guide for further reading in this field. (Washington, 2003)

Dr. Du Bois starts with the fundamental thesis that there are not any rigid ethnic kinds among men. Besides, he places the climate which has compelled the inhabitants of Africa to fight. But even with these drawbacks the Negro has played no despicable part in human history. The culture of Egypt was largely negroid and many large states with varying degrees of culture were developed throughout Africa. For the present inferiority of Negro ...