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With his collection of essays that were first published in 1903, Du Bois shows us his view, and that of other African Americans, on the black experience after emancipation and during reconstruction in the South. The Souls of Black Folk is made up of a collection of fourteen essays, all which tell a different story ranging from racial inequality to stories of black sharecroppers. He addresses what he calls "the problem with the color-line" and also the problems that faced blacks who tried to incorporate themselves into a society dominated by whites. He explains the position that Booker T. Washington had on reconstruction and the role of African Americans in the society, and then he proceeds to attack Washington’s position. Through these brief historical accounts and his own personal experiences, Du Bois establishes his own position on what the African Americans need to do to get the equality that is stated in the Constitution of the United States. This collection of essays became the backbone of a generation of thought for African Americans in the 20th century. The "problem with the color-line" is one of the many things that Du Bois brings to our attention in these essays. The "colo