The Souls of Black Folk

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The Souls Of Black Folk – A Seminal Work Of Sociology And An Important Milestone In History

W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk is considered to be one of the earliest and most important works in the field of sociology. Not only that, but this collection of essays and analysis also represents a cornerstone in African-American literature as well as history.

Du Bois was the first African American to earn a doctorate and an advocate of human rights. The Souls of Black Folk was published at first in the form of several essays in Atlantic Monthly only to be published as a book in 1903. In it, Du Bois argues that African Americans – and especially those in the South – need education reforms, as well as to be given the right to vote and other rights that white men took for granted.

The book contains several chapters. The first one deals with the African American communities and Du Bois argues that they need education. Here the author also introduces the veil metaphor where he asserts that black men wear a veil. Through this veil, they see the world differently, as they do not see the same social, educational and economic opportunities as white men do. He also argues that this veil is both a blessing and a curse to the African American communities.

In other chapters, Du Bois tries to investigate the influences such as discrimination and segregation and how they affected black people. He believed that the negative stereotypes associated with black people, such as them being simple minded, lazy or violent, are nothing but reflections of the treatment of white men.

Du Bois was ahead of his time and he managed to create an amazing piece of historical and sociological work. The Souls of Black Folk is a highly recommended to anyone wishing to learn more about the black people and their emergence from the brutal times of slavery.

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