Topics for Further Study
- Reflect on Du Bois' and Washington's perspectives regarding educational opportunities for African Americans. Considering the current debates surrounding affirmative action policies, where do you believe each of them would stand, and why?
- Examine the significance of music in the text. Given Du Bois' discussion of what he calls ‘‘Negro music’’ in ‘‘The Sorrow Songs,’’ how might he view the development of African-American music over the past century?
- In The Souls of Black Folk, Du Bois employs a variety of tones and forms. Discuss how this flexibility mirrors and influences the thematic content, and consider what the author might have intended by using this approach.
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