W.E.B. Du Bois: a Biography in Four Voices

W.E.B. Du Bois' long and fruitful life (1868-1963) almost encompasses more than one video can cover. Du Bois was, by turns, a scholar, a journalist, an activist and agitator, and a leading figure in the Pan-African movement. He was the first black to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. He helped found the NAACP, and edited its influential journal "The Crisis." His life stretched from the beginning of post-Civil War Reconstruction to the high water days of the modern civil rights struggle. Vilified and harassed by the government for his increasingly radical views, sometimes shunned by friends, Du Bois chose to live his last few years exiled in the African country of Ghana. This video divides Du Bois' life into four sections, providing commentary by historians, biographers, colleagues, family members, and Du Bois himself. The documentary examines Du Bois' shifting alliances within the NAACP, and his evolving positions on socialism, "Negro art," and the African liberation movements. In covering Du Bois' views on and relationships with Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey and others, the video presents a powerful picture of the 20th century civil rights push for equality and justice. The biography doesn't neglect the human side of the man, depicting a sometimes vain and stubborn figure who was also capable of courage and passionate idealism. It's a remarkable portrait of a life fully lived. Essential for all civil rights history collections. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)