Summary Of The Souls Of Black Folk By W. E. B. Dubois

Following Reconstruction, life for African Americans had improved. They were no longer slaves and they shared the same rights as other citizens and could even vote. However, in his book The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. Dubois shows the reader that, despite improvements in the lives of African Americans, the country still had a ways to go. This book, published in 1903, contains several essays that discuss the previous struggles of blacks following Reconstruction as well as issues that he had experienced personally. In Dubois's work he suggests that "the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color-line.”1 This color-line was visible to practically everyone, however, people experienced it for the first time in different ways. Dubois did not realize he was different until a girl from school refused a card he attempted to give her. It was at …show more content…
Prior to being freed, slaves were not allowed to officially marry but were allowed to live together. The fact that they were together did not exempt them from being sold. If a husband and wife were broken up due to being sold, the spouses were only allowed to meet with the permission of the owner. Because many slave owners feared that slaves marrying between plantations would result in lost time at work and increase the possibility of slaves desire for independence, owners favored slaves marrying on the plantations they currently lived.20 Dubois mentions how this system has improved very little, but the Negro Church is attempting to stop the practice of simply living together by performing marriage ceremonies. However, Dubois still believes that the first change that should be made is the standard of living among blacks. Another problem among the blacks in the South is child labor. Most of the children only attend school when the crops are planted and very few stay in school after the spring. The laborious work hurts them not only academically but physically as