A critic wrote: “Published in 1920, W. E. B. Du Bois’s Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil contains a provocative chapter entitled “The Souls of White Folk.” The chapter is a tour de force of the relationship of whiteness to the “darker world.” While explicitly addressing colonial imperialism, the first world war, and white supremacy, a close reading of the chapter reveals Du Bois’s implicit dissection of the meanings and makings of ‘whiteness.’”
A tour de force Indeed. A hundred years ago, today.
Trigger warning: “(This essay is reproduced in full, and so uses the language of the original writing of Du Bois, including non-gender inclusive nouns, and terms — such as the ‘n-word’ — that are offensive.)”
Here it is: The Souls of White Folk