Do black people in the United States suffer from a conflict in their identities as regular Americans and as black Americans? This idea, dubbed the double consciousness concept, was first explored and examined in-depth by W.E.B. DuBois in his book, The Souls of Black Folks.
In his book, DuBois notes that because black people in America not only define their identity through black culture, but also by how white America perceives black culture, black people have these two separate identities that have not fully integrated into one another.
As a person who lived in a predominantly black area, then moved to a white suburb, I can understand the confliction because I did and still do have two different identities. I personally think that most black people have two different identities and the reason why can be summed up into one main point: How white people look at black people and black culture?
The way that white people look at black culture and black people is very contradictory. On one hand, we are viewed as an incredibly creative, gifted, and intelligent people group whose culture represents a long history of strength and perseverance.
The dances and music created by black artists are celebrated by people around the world, black athletes train their entire lives, destroying their minds and bodies in the process, for the entertainment of millions of people, and a vast number of key inventions and ideas have been created by black people. These three things have made literal billions of dollars for white America, while the black people who created and produced the actual product receive only a fraction of that money.
On the other hand, those same people who make so much money for those companies and corporations, are viewed as ghetto, violent, and destructive individuals. The music and sports industries are two perfect examples of this dichotomy.
But another, more important factor, is that those same people who critique black culture and black people so heavily will be quick to turn a blind eye to the fact that black culture is so deeply ingrained into the culture of America.
The majority of hairstyles, clothes, music, and food that are associated with modern-day American culture, stems from black culture. America emulates, and at times, wants to be black without fixing or taking responsibility for the issues in black culture and within the black community.
Having people want to be black, while at the same time judging you because you are black is a difficult thing for most black people to come to terms with. It is much easier to create two different people to handle the two conflicting viewpoints rather than only one.
So I ask you reader, do you think that black people still suffer from the double consciousness concept, and if so, how do you think we as the black community can combat this?
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The Two Faces of a Black Person in America
October 10, 2018
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