Letter to Charles Chesnutt from W. E. B. Du Bois

W.E.B. Du Bois, American, 1868 - 1963 · July 12, 1903

W.E.B. Du Bois (1868 1963) was the preeminent African American public intellectual/activist of the early 20th century while Charles Chesnutt (1858 1932) was a prominent author of fictional works that dealt with issues facing African Americans of the era. In this letter, Du Bois proposes the creation of a "journal" dealing with African American life. This is likely an early expression of his interest in developing what becomes The Crisis, the official journal of the NAACP.