
An article in a University of Pennsylvania publication reported:
“In 1896, Du Bois was appointed an assistant instructor at Penn and began his investigation of the Seventh Ward of Philadelphia — research that he would turn into his groundbreaking work, ‘The Philadelphia Negro.'”
It continued:
“Du Bois’ completed tome, ‘The Philadelphia Negro,’ is intense, exhaustive, and meticulous, filled with methodically detailed facts, figures, charts, graphs, lists, diagrams, and maps, including a large, color-coded map—that was pull-out and printed in color in early editions—showing the social condition and distribution of African Americans throughout the Seventh Ward.
“He corroborated his work using colonial records, manuscripts, biographies and autobiographies, legal documents, census data, newspaper articles, correspondence, meeting minutes, publications, obituaries, private libraries, annuls, and in-person interviews and observations.”
Read the complete article:
Greg Johnson. The times and life of W.E.B. DuBois at Penn, Penn Today, February 22, 2019
The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study (1899) (GoogleBooks)
The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study (1899) (Internet Archive)
A short documentary is available on YouTube:
A Legacy of Courage: W.E.B. Du Bois and The Philadelphia Negro (19:16), DuBoisTheWard, June 19, 2012
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