Souls of Black Folk

One of the most widely read and influential works in African American literature, "e;The Souls of Black Folk"e; is W. E. B. Du Bois's classic collection of essays in which he details the state of racism and black culture at the beginning of the 20th century. First published in 1903, "e;The Souls of Black Folk"e; takes the reader on a history lesson of race relations from the emancipation proclamation to the early part of the 20th century. Principal to Du Bois's exposition is the idea that African Americans live in a state of "e;double-consciousness"e; meaning that they have a "e;sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity."e; A founding member of the NAACP, Du Bois helped to lay the foundation for the debate that would become the civil rights movement. As Du Bois's biographer, Manning Marable, observes, "e;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."e;