"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line." ? W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk To understand contemporary race relations in the United States of America, one must understand its past. The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois is a seminal work on undestanding the nature of race, prejudice and discrimination. Written in 1903, the work is still an essential resource.