Du Bois

The 1900 Paris Exposition was a world’s fair held in Paris, France, April 15-November 12, 1900. It was intended to highlight accomplishments over the past century and to encourage people to look forward to what was to come in the 20th century. One building at the fair was devoted to the “social economy,” and the U.S. section featured an exhibit devoted to the history and “present conditions” of African Americans. Scholar, writer, and civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois was asked to contribute a social study about African American life to the exhibit. Within the display were 63 charts, graphs, and maps, visualizing data mostly from the U.S. Census, Atlanta University reports, and various government agencies such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor. This section contains recreated data visualizations featured in the exhibit.