In 1899, W. E. B. Du Bois published The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study, an investigation of “the Negro problem” in the city's Seventh Ward based on a door-to-door survey of nearly 10,000 residents. For three decades, Shaun Gabbidon has trumpeted the criminological relevance of this classic work and, mostly unsuccessfully, urged scholars to visit its pages. The current work seeks to amplify Shaun's message. It begins by noting how a number of events—“sliding doors”—had to align for a Black person in a racist America to acquire the scholarly status and research skills needed to be selected to conduct the community study proposed by philanthropist Susan P. Wharton and the University of Pennsylvania. The second part identifies five reasons why The Philadelphia Negro is important. These include how the book employed a compelling methodology for studying a community that is of contemporary relevance, led to the first school of sociology/criminology, challenged racist stereotypes, laid the foundation for Black Criminology, and offered a template for policy analysis. We conclude as follows: It is not too late to listen to Shaun Gabbidon—read The Philadelphia Negro!
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