W. E. B. DuBois's Exhibit of American Negroes
African Americans at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century
By (author) Eugene F. Provenzo Jr.
Not available to order
Publication date:
22 August 2013Length of book:
236 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9781442226289
“The problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color-line.” This quote is among the most prophetic in American history. It was written by W. E. B. DuBois for the Exhibition of American Negroes displayed at the 1900 Paris Exposition. They are words whose force echoed throughout the Twentieth Century.
W.E.B. DuBois put together a groundbreaking exhibit about African Americans for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris. For the first time, this book takes readers through the exhibit. With more than 200 black & white images throughout, this book explores the diverse lives of African Americans at the turn of the century, from challenges to accomplishments.
DuBois confronted stereotypes in many ways in the exhibit, and he provided irrefutable evidence of how African Americans had been systematically discriminated against. Though it was only on display for a few brief months, the award-winning Exhibit of American Negroes represents the great lost archive of African American culture from the beginning of the twentieth century.
W.E.B. DuBois put together a groundbreaking exhibit about African Americans for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris. For the first time, this book takes readers through the exhibit. With more than 200 black & white images throughout, this book explores the diverse lives of African Americans at the turn of the century, from challenges to accomplishments.
DuBois confronted stereotypes in many ways in the exhibit, and he provided irrefutable evidence of how African Americans had been systematically discriminated against. Though it was only on display for a few brief months, the award-winning Exhibit of American Negroes represents the great lost archive of African American culture from the beginning of the twentieth century.
Denied an invitation to exhibit at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, black scholars and leaders were able to get an invitation for the Exhibit of American Negroes at the 1900 Paris Exposition. It was a chance to show the world how African Americans had progressed since emancipation, and its organizer, W. E. B. Du Bois, took full advantage of the opportunity. On display, as well, were his own skills as a sociologist, documenting and analyzing the cultural lives of black Americans through their homes, colleges, churches, businesses, arts, and literature. This was three years before Du Bois wrote his seminal work, The Souls of Black Folks, and before he began his contentious debate with Booker T. Washington on the best way forward for educating black Americans. Drawing on archival material, Provenzo offers more than 200 black-and-white images of displays as well as the statistics and data, also on display, documenting the history and then-current condition of African Americans. This is an important snapshot of life for black Americans at the beginning of the twentieth century.