All texts are situated within their historical, social, and intellectual contexts. Race Matters by Cornell West. In this collection of essays, West provides a way to break out of the traditional liberal and conservative rhetoric on race in America in order to address some of today's most urgent issues. Referred to as cutting-edge critical theory by Henry L. Gates. This introductory anthology is a collection of black men and women writing about the black experience.
Text is geared towards young scholars.
Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. DuBois. Edited with an introduction by David W. Blight and Robert Gooding Williams. I find the introductory essay very smart and accessibly well-written. This edition is a model of clarity and perceptiveness. It may well prove to be an indispensable primer for DuBois studies.