A tireless, impassioned champion of civil rights, William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868-1963) forged a distinguished career as an author, editor, and leader in the civil rights movement. The architect of the Niagara Movement (forerunner of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), Du Bois employed his skills as an eloquent, immensely knowledgeable writer and public speaker to help shape the revolt of black intellectuals against the conciliatory policies of Booker T. Washington. This collection of fiery essays, sketches, and poems--first published nearly 80 years ago in the Atlantic, the Journal of Race Development and other periodicals--dates from the zenith of Du Bois' political influence in the United States. Reflecting the author's political, historical, and artistic ideas, Darkwater has long moved and inspired readers with its militant cry for social, political, and economic reforms for black Americans. Like Du Bois' highly influential The Souls of Black Folk, the present work is essential reading for students of African-American history and anyone interested in the history of the civil rights movement.