"The Souls of Black Folk" by W.E.B. DuBois

W.E.B. Dub Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk is a classic piece of literary art that would benefit anyone who reads it. Published exactly 100 years ago, the essays are so provocative and insightful that they still resonate in today’s society. The fact that they still resonate today could also be taken as a bad thing however, and that’s a point that will be discussed later on. One theme introduced in the book that is still particularly relevant is that of the veil, the double-consciousness that black people have. The idea was introduced 100 years ago and is still applicable today, pointing to the staying power of the writing of Du Bois; furthermore, I agree with Du Bois views on the double-consciousness
First, a proper definition is in order. Du Bois gives a fairly lengthy definition of it in the book, a definition I will try to edit for brevity here. He says, “…a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation...