The Souls of Black Folk

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The Souls of Black Folk is a 1903 work of American literature by W. E. B. Du Bois. It is a seminal work in the history of sociology and a cornerstone of African-American literature. The book contains several essays on race, some of which had been published earlier in The Atlantic Monthly.

Controversy

u Bois coins two terms that have developed into theoretical fields of study: “double consciousness” and “the Veil." “Double consciousness" is the belief that the African-American in the United States live with two conflicting identities that cannot be entirely merged together. First and most important to the black experience is the black identity. The second most important thing is the American identity, an identity into which the black man was born only because of the historical remnants of slavery. Working along with the idea of double consciousness is the veil, which describes that African-Americans’ lived experience happens behind a veil. While they are able to understand what life is like for people outside of and within their group, it is difficult for white people to fully understand the black experience. The Souls of Black Folk provides the reader with a glimpse into life behind the veil.[1]

https://www.getabstract.com/en/summary/the-souls-of-black-folk/37393