This multimedia version of W.E.B. Du Bois's The Souls of Black Folk was produced under the guidance and with the encouragement of four Columbia University faculty co-developers, who also contributed to the content of the site. They include Casey Blake, Alan Brinkley, Manning Marable, and Robert O'Meally. The collection and selection of media resources and content research for The Souls of Black Folk and all aspects of technical production were directed by Marc A. Meyer, Project Manager, The Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning. Executive Producers for the project were Frank Moretti and Maurice Matiz, CCNMTL.

A note on the Sorrow Songs: Sorrow Songs: W.E.B. DuBois, Sorrow Songs are "the siftings of centuries . . . in [which] we can trace here and there signs of development." The Sorrow Songs, coming out of the oral tradition, are a living art and always changing. Hence, the sheet music we have provided as accompaniments may differ from the musical stanza Dr. Dubois incorporated into the original edition of The Souls of Black Folk. And there are many variations relative to actual recordings of these spirituals. Regardless of discrepancies in lyrics, notes and even titles, the meaning of the musical selection to which Du Bois referred remains the same.

If you have comments, suggestions, or questions about this MSE, please contact us at ccnmtl@columbia.edu.

NB: This site was built in 2000 and released in December 2000. Unfortunately, many of the media players are no longer functional.