Yonkers, N.Y. (Gazette Press), 1910.
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Hardcover. First edition (The end of the volume states "End of Volume I" but no subsequent volume was published). Red cloth gilt. 103pp. Contemporary owner's stamp: "Dr. O. Janiger," top corner a little bumped, else about fine. Bruce was born into slavery, self-educated and after emancipation became a pioneering journalist, founding several newspapers including *The Argus Weekly* (1879), *The Sunday Item* (1880), *The Washington Grit* (1884, from whence he assumed his nickname "Bruce Grit"), *The Chronicle* of New York, and *The Weekly Standard* of Yonkers (1910). He was acerbic, outspoken, favored armed resistance to racism, and was an early Pan-Africanist, favoring the unity of African peoples. While he preferred Du Bois's principles to those of Booker T. Washington, he was suspicious of Du Bois's integration policies. His pursuit of rare African-American books inspired Arthur A. Schomburg, to whom he was both mentor and surrogate father, and he was responsible for introducing the much younger Schomburg into both collecting and to New York intellectual society. It was on Bruce's recommendation that Schomburg was voted into membership of the American Negro Academy. He was also the president of the Negro Historical Society of Research. A very uncommon, cheaply produced, and presumably self-published book, most copies we've seen have been in terrible condition. This is the best copy we've seen.
Item #422713
