African Americans have a long and checkered history in the United States. Although our country today seems largely free of racial prejudice, this was not always the case. African Americans were brought to this country to be sold and used as slaves. They endured horrible working conditions and an even harsher lifestyle that consisted of being treated like property instead of real human beings. It wasn't until after the Civil War; the implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation of 1865, according to which African Americans were legally freed from their duty of slavery. However, even after liberation, life was not easy and they did not enjoy the same freedoms as white Americans. This period from 1865 to 1903 was the focus of WEB' Du Bois in writing his book, The Souls of Black Folk, which focuses on the experiences of African Americans after they were granted freedom. Du Bois' book provides an insight into how African-Americans felt and handled things during this controversial time. Major topics in The Souls of Black Folk include African American worldviews, the policies of Booker T Washington, the impact of segregation and discrimination on blacks, stereotypes, African American history and spirituality, and the general feelings held by African Americans African American. this time. Du Bois makes some very strong points and includes his own perspective in his writings. Du Bois even created his own ideals for how blacks could achieve complete freedom. According to him, the most important aspects of life that should be guaranteed to African Americans are the right to education, the right to vote, and the right to be treated justly and as equals. This is an opinion of his that is evident throughout…half of the paper…he believes that blacks must be treated equally and justly to be truly free, otherwise they are trapped by the fear of racism. There is still racism today all over the world, against all different people. This may never completely disappear due to people's personal beliefs, which cannot all be valued equally. However, in America we now have complete legal equality for every individual, regardless of race or ethnic origin. African Americans have come to a point in history where they are no longer discriminated against and have the same opportunities as anyone else. It has taken a long time to get to this point, but now that we are here, we can see that there are no longer problems of segregation or discrimination as there were in the decades after 1865. Works Cited Du Bois, WEB The Souls of Black People .Tilwell, KS: Digireads.com, 2005. Print.