W.E.B. Du Bois and the Exhibit of American Negroes

How a racist oversight led to one of the most amazing looks at Black life ever created

In 1893, the “World’s Fair: Columbian Exposition” was held in Chicago to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the New World. It was intended to showcase the technological prowess and financial might of the United States of America. Several cities across the country engaged in an intense bidding war for the right to host the exhibition with prominent local citizens…