While reading The
Souls of Black Folk by W.E B. Du Bois, the thought of double-consciousness
resonated with one. The dichotomy of being black and American is a social topic
that had always fascinated me, so to see it written out through the experiences
and wisdom of Du Bois in such an introspective and scholarly manner further
intrigued me. Questions arose in conclusion to the reading: Did any of the
writers of the constitution consider African Americans in 1787? Also, is
double-consciousness as relevant in a modern society where racism isn’t as
publically displayed- or on the contrary, does that make double-consciousness
even more relevant?
In Article IV, section 2 of the
constitution, it states: the Citizens of
each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in
the several States. Given the time that the constitution was written,
slavery was still intact. Many African Americans weren’t regarded as citizens.
In fact, it could be interpreted that some of the privileges that citizens
shall be entitled to were owning an equal amount of slaves. Slavery is undoubtingly
a major contribution to the concept of double-consciousness in African
Americans. One would imagine it to be near impossible for a black slave to
consider themselves as an American when their “fellow” American citizens
scrutinized and oppressed them based off of their origins and race.
The
self-imposed question that fascinated me the most was the relevancy of double-consciousness
in modern society. Du Bois writes about the high sense of pride he felt when he
was able to outperform his white peers during mental examinations and feats of physicality.
This would have taken place circa 1870’s when Du Bois was a child and racism
was more publically acceptable. To out preform a fellow white citizen- particularly
ones that ostracized him due to his race- gave Du Bois a window to see that he
would be capable of achieving great accolades in America.
In 2014, the lines of race have been blurred.
Cities that were once occupied by racial segregations are now host to a melting
pot of ethnicities with more ethnic backgrounds on the upper-terriers of the
socioeconomic ladder. Does this mean that African Americans are less conscious
of the idea of being both black and American? Although racial discrimination is
largely frowned upon in today’s world, one would argue that double-consciousness
is just as relevant as it was in 1903. Although it is easier to attain equality,
there are still racial barriers that are prevalent in both a social and
professional sense. Some may say that African Americans should be even more conscious
of their race and where they stand as an American given that the racial barricades
of society are not as visible as they once were. To dismiss the concept of
double-consciousness is to dismiss the concept of affirmative action in work
place environments; high arrest rates for the black youth; and media and entertainment
coverage of black culture.
One would say that being black and
American are not mutually exclusive social standpoints; however, it’s
undeniable that being black in today’s (and yesterday’s) world can often give
off the feeling of being sub-American.
*It is also important to
note that double-consciousness is not exclusive to African Americans. Other ethnicities,
such as Hispanics and Native Americans can also face similar struggles while living in America*
