The Souls of Black Folk

The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches is a collection of essays on race by American author W. E. B. Du Bois. It was first published in 1903 and is a seminal work in the history of sociology and a cornerstone of African American literature. Du Bois drew from his own experiences as an African American in American society. Each chapter in The Souls of Black Folk begins with a pair of epigraphs: text from a poem, usually by a European poet, and the musical score of a spiritual. The text had great influence in African American history and is also noted as one of the early works in the field of sociology.