Africa, Its Geography, People and Products and Africa-Its Place in Modern History (The Oxford W. E. B. Du Bois)

W. E. B. Du Bois was a public intellectual, sociologist, and activist on behalf of the African American community. He profoundly shaped black political culture in the United States through his founding role in the NAACP, as well as internationally through the Pan-African movement. Du Bois's sociological and historical research on African-American communities and culture broke ground in many areas, including the history of the post-Civil War Reconstruction period. Du Bois was also a prolific author of novels, autobiographical accounts, innumerable editorials and journalistic pieces, and several works of history. Written in very accessible prose, these two booklets, originally published in 1930, allowed W. E. B. Du Bois to reach a wide audience with an interest in Africa. What is so incredible about the two Africa booklets is their lasting relevance and value to the study of Africa today. Coupling Du Bois's breadth of scholarship with his passion for the subjects, the analyses in these booklets are integral to the study of Africa. Many of his arguments foreshadowed the issues and debates regarding Africa in the twentieth century. Expertly synthesized in an introduction by Emmanuel Akyeampong, this edition of the two Africa booklets is essential for anyone interested in African history. First published in 1930 as part of the Little Blue Book series, Africa, Its Geography, People, and Products and Africa - Its Place in Modern History are two short booklets meant to introduce Africa to the mainstream reader. In both, Du Bois sets out to prove to an often skeptical and racist public that Africa's role in the world has been just as persistent, complex, and significant a that of any other continent. In the first volume, Du Bois presents the reader with a geopolitical overview of the African continent that highlights its diversity. The second volume discusses the magnitude of the role that Africa has played in shaping the modern world Content: Series Introduction: The Black Letters on the Sign Introduction Africa, Its Geography, People and Products -The Geography of Africa -The People -The Languages -The Products -Political Divisions of Africa -Independent Africa -Partially Independent Africa -British Protectorates in South Africa -Mandated Territories -Belgian Africa -French Africa -Portuguese Africa -Spanish Africa Africa-Its Place in Modern History Index William Edward Burghardt Du Bois: A Chronology Selected Bibliography Accessible and well-researched, the arguments and analyses in both pamphlets foreshadow many of the issues and debates that characterize scholarship on Africa to this day. Now published together in one volume with a new introduction by Professor Emmanuel Akyeampong of harvard Uiversity, these two booklets provide an excellent introduction to the thems and debates that characterize African history. (From Publisher Description) Africa, its geography, people and products The geography of Africa The people The languages The products Political divisions of Africa Independent Africa Partially independent Africa British protectorates in South Africa Mandated territories Belgian Africa French Africa Portuguese Africa Spanish Africa Italian Africa Africa, its place in modern history William Edward Burghardt Du Bois : a chronology The Oxford W. E. B. Du Bois is a collection of Du Bois's works in 19 volumes. Each work is introduced by a brief essay by an eminent scholar and each volume includes a general introduction from the series editor, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Spanning over a half-century, this collection is essential for anyone interested in African American history