W. E. B. Du Bois and the Jews: Ethics, Editing, and The Souls of Black Folk

This article explores the importance of the differences between the two major authorial versions of W. E. B. Du Bois’s influential The Souls of Black Folk. The original edition of 1903 included eight incidental passages reflecting the anti-Semitism of the time. After World War II and the Holocaust, Du Bois revised those passages for the 1953 edition in the light of his longtime increased sensitivity to Jewish issues and in the interests of historical accuracy. Yet many paperback versions taught today sadly use the unrevised 1903 text. The most desirable editions call attention to the revisions, and thus to Du Bois’s continuing reflection on a text that had become iconic in his own lifetime and to his ability to change his mind.