"The Veil" and "Double Consciousness" In The Souls of Black
Folk, arguably W.E.B. DuBois’ most famous work, he introduces
and addresses two concepts that describe the quintessential
Black experience in America— the concepts of “the veil” and
“double-consciousness.” Though DuBois uses these terms
separately, their meanings and usage in his works are deeply
intertwined. These two concepts gave a name to what so many
African-Americans felt but previously could not express due to a
lack of words to accurately describe their pain. The implication
and connotation of these words were far-reaching because not
only did it succinctly describe the plight of being Black and
American then, it rings true to the core and essence of what it
means to still be Black and American today. For DuBois, the veil
concept primarily refers to three things. First, the veil
suggests to the literal darker skin of Blacks, which is a
physical demarcation of difference from whiteness. Secondly, the
veil suggests white people’s lack of clarit