The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois is book everyone in America should read, a fundamental work in three distinct areas. First, it is a classic in the annals of American Literature; second, it is a seminal work in the discipline of sociology; and, third, it is a cornerstone of Afro-American literature. Published in 1903, the book is a collection of essays that cover the various aspects of the black experience. In it he introduces the metaphor of the veil as a visual symbol of the color line and the corresponding idea of “double-consciousness” that describes the reality of constantly perceiving one’s self both subjectively and through the eyes of others. In addition to sections on history, education, the sociology of the black community, and the role of the black church, there are narratives of the lives of individuals, a short story, and a closing chapter on black mus

The importance and the impact of the book cannot be overstated. In Living Black History, Du Bois's biographer, Manning Marablen, observes:

Few books make history and fewer still become foundational texts for the movements and struggles of an entire people. The Souls of Black Folk occupies this rare position. It helped to create the intellectual argument for the black freedom struggle in the twentieth century. "Souls" justified the pursuit of higher education for Negroes and thus contributed to the rise of the black middle class. By describing a global color-line, Du Bois anticipated pan-Africanism and colonial revolutions in the Third World. Moreover, this stunning critique of how 'race' is lived through the normal aspects of daily life is central to what would become known as 'whiteness studies' a century later.

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