Library to observe centennial of
'The Souls of Black Folk'

By Emily Silverman, special to the Chronicle

he Library is hosting an exhibit, Du Bois homesite tour, and a symposium to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of "The Souls of Black Folk" by W.E.B. Du Bois.

     "The Souls of Black Folk: A Centennial Exhibit" is on display now through May 9 in Special Collections and Archives on the 25th floor of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library. The exhibit features original manuscript materials as well as photographs and correspondence from the W.E.B. Du Bois Papers, which are held in Special Collections and Archives.

     According to William Thompson, head of Special Collections and Archives, "It is always interesting to see the author's unique handwriting and his fluid compositional style. Every author hopes that the book he writes will have an impact on its readers. The letters displayed in the exhibit are from people who had read the book and then wrote to Du Bois expressing the personal impact that this book had on each of them."

     The exhibit features many letters written to Du Bois by readers of the work. His correspondents range from notable literary figures to students, and the letters span
Du Bois's entire career.

     On April 30, Anthropology professor Robert Paynter will lead a tour of the
Du Bois boyhood homesite, a National Historic Landmark, and related sites in Great Barrington.

     The day-long symposium, "Revisiting 'The Souls of Black Folk': A Centenary Celebration" will be held May 1, beginning at 10 a.m. in 163 Lincoln Campus Center. It will include a keynote address by English professor John Edgar Wideman, a series of 'Souls'-related presentations by area faculty, readings from the book by Associate Chancellor Esther Terry, musical presentations of the Sorrow Songs by Horace Clarence Boyer and the Year of Jubilee Four, and a belated Du Bois birth-day celebration.

     The symposium presenters are Ernest Allen, professor of Afro-American Studies, David Blight, professor of history, Amherst College; Vincent Franklin, professor of education, Columbia Teachers College; and Gerald Friedman, professor of Economics.
The symposium is sponsored by the Library, the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies, the Department of History, the Office of the Provost, and the Office of the Chancellor.

     For more information, visit the website (www.library.umass.edu/whatsnew/dubois_event.html) or contact William Thompson, head of Special Collections, Archives and Maps at 5-2780 or via e-mail (askanarc@library.umass.edu).