From the moment where one's race is realized to the first heart break because of something more than unrequited feelings, Black Was Not a Label explores what life is like within the "veil," a concept coined by W.E.B. DuBois, and the "double consciousness," for author Kathryn H. Ross. These concepts are felt from earliest childhood, but not realized or dealt with until early adulthood, when this collection of essays was born. Within them, Ross sifts through memories of everything from hair trauma and drama, instances of racism and forced stereotypes in school, family, and friendships, to slavery and heritage, her personal relationship with and faith in God with whom she struggles to reconcile the past, present, and the uncertain future of the brown body in what can often be a mean world.