The Souls of Black Folk

The Souls of Black Folk (1903) is a work in African-American literature, that to this day is lauded as one of the most important parts of African-American and sociological history. In this collection of essays, Du 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.