Wilson (African American studies, U. of Maryland) presents a collective intellectual biography of three generations of black social scientists and activists, from W.E.B. Du Bois in the 1890s to young economist Robert C. Weaver during the New Deal. In the course of the study, she profiles 15 representative black sociologists, historians and economists from their graduate training through their public careers. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)