"The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line"

W.E.B. Du Bois was an African American civil liberties activist and scholar who composed this quote in 1903. He was referring to the racial segregation and discrimination that African Americans dealt with in the United States during the twentieth century. He thought that the "color line" was the most pressing problem of the time, and that it was a barrier to progress and equality. He argued that the color line was a significant obstacle to the improvement of African Americans, and that it was a significant factor in the financial and social inequality that African Americans dealt with. He believed that the only way to overcome this issue was to break down the color line and produce a more equitable society. He argued that this might just be achieved through education, economic chance, and political representation. He thought that the only way to truly attain racial equality was to break down the color line and produce a more just and fair society.