2014 Reprint of 1920 Edition. Written during a turning point in American history, "Darkwater" is a collection of poems, essays and autobiographical stories demanding political and social reform for African Americans. Expanding upon topics first discussed in "The Souls of Black Folk", it addresses racial problems and social injustices worldwide. "Darkwater" has come to be recognized as one of the most lyrical and moving works in the Du Bois canon, a work of great poetic as well as scholarly and political merit.