Book by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cornel West

Summary

Meditations on the dreams, aspirations, fears and responsibilities of black America's "Talented Tenth."

In 1903, the legendary historian, editor and cofounder of the NAACP, W.E.B. Du Bois, published his now-famous essay "The Talented Tenth." "The Negro race," it began, "like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men." For the young post�Civil Rights�era group of leaders, of which Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cornel West have become such a significant part, "The Talented Tenth" was held up as a model for the social, political and ethical roles of the new "crossover" generation. Du Bois's belief in an educated class dedicated to reform became their inspiration and their credo. Taking up where Du Bois left off, they address the dreams, fears, aspirations and responsibilities of the black community � especially the black elite at the turn of a new century.

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Editorial Reviews

Review: The Future of the Race (Booklist)

[Du Bois] stressed the idea of service by the "tenth" to the black underclass. These pivotal essays, included in this book, are touchstones for an argument waged by contemporary black scholars Gates and West. Gates dedicates his essay to two influential black students that he met at Yale in the sixties, and it's more than a dedication. His is a personal essay that reviews his life as a black student benefiting from the political gains of the 1960s and seeking ways to do service, ending with reflections on the lives of so many of his fellow "talented tenth," who did not survive the skirmish to win the war. West dissects the problems he finds in Du Bois' thought and, seemingly, draws parallels to concerns of more contemporary thinkers in questioning the need, or indeed, the suitability of a "talented tenth" to rescue the sinking black underclass. It's an argument that compels one to think about sacrifice for the good of humanity, whatever its rewards.

Review: The Future of the Race (Library Journal)

In this thought-provoking collaboration, Gates and West explore the challenge of W.E.B. Dubois's famous essay "The Talented Tenth" and consider the future of African American society in light of it...The text includes DuBois's "The Talented Tenth" and, reprinted for the first time, his 1948 critique of it. Highly recommended.

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Biography

Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is the W. E. B. Du Bois Professor of the Humanities and the Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University.

Author Interview

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