W.E.B. Du Bois: The Fight for Equality and the American Century, 1919–1963

This second volume of David Levering Lewis's biography covers W.E.B. Du Bois from 1919 to 1963. Du Bois was a historian, novelist, editor, sociologist, founder of the NAACP, advocate of women's rights, and a central figure in the Civil Rights movement. The volume begins with African American veterans returning from World War I to face racism and lynching, while the Harlem Renaissance emerged in American culture. Lewis examines the political dimensions of the Harlem Renaissance and Du Bois's efforts to fight for equality and justice, including his insistence that black Americans—not whites—should define black aspirations. During the Communist witch-hunts, Du Bois faced rejection from liberals and the black bourgeoisie. He spent his final years in exile in Ghana after its independence. Lewis's account places Du Bois at the center of American history during this turbulent period.