The W. E. B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard University celebrates the centennial of a pivotal publication by inviting the public to hear writers, critics, and members of Harvard's faculty and administration read some of the many memorable passages from The Souls of Black Folk.The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois was published by A. C. McClurg & Co. in Chicago on April 18, 1903. One hundred years later, many still consider this series of essays to be the most influential book written by an African American in the 20th century. Du Bois was the first black man to receive a PhD from Harvard University and was one of the earliest founding members of the NAACP.