Transcript: W. E. BURGHARDT Du BOIS THIRTY-ONE GRACE COURT BROOKLYN 2, N. Y. June 26, 1957 Dear Shirley: I have been meaning for years to set down some wishes about my funeral exercizes. But it’s a bit grewsome task and I’m always feeling well enough tothink that putting the matter off a bit wont […]
To Caroline B. Day, June 4, 1938
Wrestling Jacob, Jacob, day is a-breaking, Wrestling Jacob, Jacob, I will not let you go… (Sundquist, 525) Transcript June 4, 1938 My dear Carrie: I always get hot under the collar when anybody uses that quotation of mine from the SOULS OF BLACK FOLK because it is almost always wrong since somebody […]
To Betty Millard, June 6, 1959
You may bury me in the East, You may bury me in the West, But I’ll hear that trumpet sound In that morning. (Sundquist, 522) Transcript: London, June 6, 1959 Dear Betty Millard: I have thought of you many times in the last ten months but as time rushed on, the more I […]
To Annie F. Jenkins, April 7, 1926
Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home, Swing low, sweet chariot (Sundquist, 518) Transcript: April 7, 1926. Miss Annie F. Jenkins, 745 South 22nd Street, Philadelphia, Pa. My dear Miss Jenkins: Yeats starts where Emerson left off. Emerson said: If eyes were made for seeing, Then beauty is its only […]
To Mary Burghardt Du Bois, July 21, 1883
I hope my mother will be there, In that beautiful world on high (Sundquist, 521) Transcript: New Bedford July 21, 1883. Dear Mam, I arrived here safely friday after noon. It was just noon when I got to Hartford. After eating my lunch + buying my ticket I went up to the capitol […]
To Miss M. B. Marston, March 11, 1907
Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus! (Sundquist, 512) Transcript: REV. HORACE BUMSTEAD, D. D. PRESIDENT Atlanta University REV. MYRON W. ADAMS, Ph. D. DEAN Atlanta, Ga., March 11, 1907. Miss M. B. Marston, 420 S. Main St., Wichita, Kans. My dear Madam: – I thank you for your letter without date. […]
To Carnegie Corporation, November 17, 1934
Won’t you help me in the service of the Lord? I’m a Rolling I’m a… (Sundquist, 505) Transcript: ATLANTA UNIVERSITY ATLANTA, GEORGIA November 17, 1934 Mr. F. P. Keppel CARNEGIE CORPORATION 522 Fifth Avenue New York, New York My dear Mr. Keppel: Mr. Harcourt suggests that I write you again. I am loathe […]
To Du Bois Williams, January 17, 1946
Children, you’ll be called on To march in the field of bat-tle, When this war-fare’ll be end-ed, Hal-le-lu. (Sundquist, 504) Transcript: *********** 20 West 40th Street 17 January 1946 Dear Du Bois: I was very much pleased to get your letter this morning. You must remember that grandfathers are human and have their […]
To Yolande Du Bois, October 29, 1914
Oh, mother, don’t you love your darling child, Oh, rock me in the cra-dle all the day. (Sundquist, 508-09) Transcript: October 29, 1914. Dear Little Daughter: I have waited for you to get well settled before writing. By this time I hope some of the strangeness has worn off and that my little […]
To Ghana Ministry of the Interior, February 17, 1963
Way o-ver in the E-gypt land, You shall gain the vic-to-ry, (Sundquist, 502) Transcript: February 17, 1963 Honorable Kwaku Boateng Minister of the Interior Accra. Honorable Sir: I am happy to address you this morning as a citizen of the Republic of Ghana. All the logic of my life leads me to this […]
To Searles High School Alumni Association, June 13, 1961
And you shall have a new hid-ing place that day. (Sundquist, 502) Transcript: June 13, 1961 Mr. George P. Fitzpatrick, President of the Searles High School Alumni Association, Dear Mr. Fitzpatrick: I have your kind invitation of June 9. for Saturday, June 24. I regret to say that on June 15, I fly […]
To George Streator, April 24, 1935
Oh! breth-er-en, my way, my way’s cloudy, my way, Go send them angels down. (Sundquist, 500) Transcript: ATLANTA UNIVERSITY ATLANTA, GEORGIA April 24, 1935 Mr. George Streator 211 West 149 Street Apartment 5A, C/O White New York, New York My dear Mr. Streator: I have received your two letters of April 9 and […]
To International Mark Twain Society, June 2, 1938
Gwine to mourn an’ nebber tire, Mourn an’ nebber tire, Mourn an’ nebber tire (Sundquist, 496-7) Transcript: June 2, 1938 My dear Mr. Clemens: I have your letter of May 22 and thank you for its information. I am returning the blank which you asked me to fill. Concerning tho contribution to the […]
To Himself, February 23, 1894
*THIS LETTER INCLUDES THE “N-WORD.” If you are white, you should not say this word out loud. My Lord, what a mourning, My Lord, what a mourning, My Lord, what a mourning, When the stars begin to fall. (Sundquist, 498) Transcript: Berlin, Germany, Oranienburgerstr 66 III l. 23 February, 1894. My Dear Du […]
To Nina Du Bois, February 8, 1946
Oh nobody knows de trouble I’ve seen (Sundquist, 494) Transcript: 8 February 1946 Dear Nina: I know that it is hard for you to stay in the hospital. It is not a pleasant atmosphere, but Dr. Wright and all the physicians agree that your only chance for getting better is the kind of […]