Analysis Of Double Consciousness And The Veil

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Aubrianna Strickland October 12, 2015 Soci 3030 Reflection Paper 1 W.E.B Du Bois Double -Consciousness and the Veil In W.E.B Du Bois’s “Double-Consciousness and the Veil”, he talks about the Negro’s viewpoint in the emancipated world. He illustrates the way that black people are able to view themselves from two perspectives. He shows the struggle that black people have to balance out in order to make it in society. I will be explaining what the theory of double-consciousness is and what Du bois felt like it meant for black people. Du Bois believed that the emancipation of the slaves was only the beginning of the world of double-consciousness. The black man wanted his freedom only to come to the realization that he …show more content…

He should be granted the time and thought to his own social problems. Facing the prejudice of the white dominated society causes the black man to question himself and the need progress and educate himself, if he is not going to be awarded the same opportunities in the end. What is the point of education if you are only going to able to get a job as a cook or a servant? This systematic discrimination can discourage the black man and eventually cause him to fulfill the “self-fulfilling prophecy” that is constricting …show more content…

I believe that is very hard to be a black person in America even after years of “freedom”. The media plays a big part in helping perpetuate stereotypes of the black man in society. He is often only shown as an athlete, rapper or criminal and this helps society perpetuate the idea that he is only those things. Even though many people want to believe that we have moved past the societal levels of discrimination and prejudice, it has only moved to invisible prejudice and discrimination. Society has not become less prejudice, but has only found new ways to hide its prejudice. This can be detrimental on the black man/woman’s self-determination because he/she is fighting this double-consciousness. He/she has to constantly debunk the negative stereotypes and stigma associated with being a black person in America. Having to do this can make the black man lose himself mentally, socially, and physically because he cannot be who he truly is. He is forced assimilate himself into the dominant culture and consequently, he loses a part of himself. On the contrary, he is able to understand things from both sides of the

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