The Double Consciousness According To Du Bois's 'Souls Of Black Folk'

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The Double Consciousness:
In the book “Souls of Black Folk” (1903) Du Bois explain the double consciousness by the use of the example of African Americans or Negros. He explains this concept as the idea that you are African and American simultaneously. According to him, this idea creates a sense of confusion and conflict regarding one’s identity. The Nigro population were neither American-as they were not white- nor African- as they are American citizens. He speaks of a sense of self-consciousness of being African and American and of being seen as different. To Du Bois the biggest concerns were the question of how it would be possible to be both American and African. He raised the question of if being American is not in itself contradicting …show more content…

These categories are determined by physical differences such as hair and skin colour. In ‘Souls of White Folk” (DuBois, 1920) Du Bois explains that race is defined by each individual’s heritage and history although the common laws in these histories also had a role in defining the rol of each race.. Du Bois (Solomos & Black, 2005) is able to link the prejudice that has been set against certain races to the history of friction between the people belonging to those …show more content…

According to Du Bois, the white population gave a psychological public benefit to the member of their race in order to set them above the Negro population. This influenced the facilities that were available for certain races as well as more funds were invested in facilities- suck as schooling systems and hospitals- for whites and this lead to better access to these systems. He uses the image of an open door that is only open for

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