"Between me and the other world there is ever an unasked question:..."See in text(I. Of Our Spiritual Strivings)
Du Bois begins this essay by stating an unasked question that surrounds black identity: "How does it feel to be a problem?" He relates that there are different reasons for people not directly asking such a question, and he chooses to ignore it because of how personal it is and how close to the heart of southern and northern racism it is. For Du Bois, he wants to examine the "double consciousness" of the African American population, and how he wasn't aware that he was a "problem" until his own first encounter with racial hatred. This personal opening to his essay provides an accessible an emotional entry point into the conversation, as Du Bois draws readers in with strong questions and emotional experiences.
