The Souls of Black Folk

Question 1

Throughout this work, Du Bois focuses on the long history of racism in the United States and its severe impact on the lives of blacks in the country. Some of the effects of prejudice were obvious, including economic subjugation, authoritarianism, physical abuse, and separate spheres of life. Other outcomes which were less clear but just as serious include lack of productivity and self-reliance, uncertainty, self-loathing, conflicted identity, as well as fear (Du Bois, 1903). According to Du Bois, racial issues were at the center of the disturbed relationship between blacks and their white compatriots. While racial prejudice was seen as an ideological as well as religious matter, its consequences were felt mainly by the blacks and in almost every aspect of their lives. Regardless, the writer holds that this prejudice also had adverse impacts on whites whose hatred, distrust, and fear of black people weakened their own humanity. Also, America’s legacy of racial discrimination rendered the whole country short of the values on which it was purportedly founded. 

Given the elaborate nature of this work concerning prejudice, it is possible to use Du Bois’ writing to assess current implications. For instance, poverty, economic disenfranchisement, and segregation in urban cities are a demonstration of the collective impacts of racial prejudice. Additionally, the overrepresentation of African-American males in the criminal justice system, hate crimes, and international terrorism emphasizes the writer’s claim of the tendency to view differences with distrust and suspicion (Du Bois, 1903). Even though the United States has grown more tolerant of racial differences, a new kind of prejudice emerges – aversive racism – focusing on equality, while, at the same time, characterized evasion and intangible discrimination against black people. Even today, black people still experience the predicament of double consciousness. 

Question 2

Considering this work, it may be deduced that one of the most significant topics Du Bois would address today would be the perceived relationship between race and class given that he tries to explain the role of color in the society. According to Du Bois, the “color line” needs to be evaluated from different dimensions in order to identify and understand the interrelation between race and class. It is important to note that today race and class seem to be the mode of domination and resistance in the United States. Even though Du Bois addresses racial questions and considers them to be “the problem of the twentieth century,” these issues are still evident in the society today (Du Bois, 1903). Therefore, it is expected that the writer would still be talking about such matters if he was present today. In fact, Du Bois did not only focus on the relationship between race and class as evidenced in the United States but also the racial issues experienced by racial minorities all over the world. 

In this work, Du Bois strives to create an understanding of the gross disparities in opportunity, wealth, and power between blacks and their white counterparts. Such inequalities still exist today, and this makes his statements relevant today. Du Bois argues that the oppressed, who are the blacks, in this case, are likely to resist anti-black attitudes from the whites and that they would launch fierce struggles for liberation and better state of life (Du Bois, 1903). Speaking today, it is likely that Du Bois would state that this struggles already begun albeit not entirely successful. The Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and other subsequent movements have resulted in higher standards of living for blacks today as compared to 1903 when Du Bois wrote this work. However, disparities are still evident regarding race and class. 

Question 3

Du Bois discusses double consciousness within the context of racial prejudice in America before and during his lifetime. The writer insists that since blacks have been living in a country that continuously devalues and represses them, it has become hard for them to develop a single identity out of the fact that they are both black and American. As a result, blacks feel compelled to view themselves through the eyes of others. Additionally, blacks tend to have a damaged image of themselves based on the ideas and behavior of white people. In turn, the lives of black people become woven by stereotypes propagated by popular culture. Du Bois argues that whites elicit the lowering of ideals and self-questioning among blacks (Du Bois, 1903). Thus, the black American experience and knowledge are mostly shaped by the internalization of the anti-negro attitude from others. As a result, blacks are faced with the dilemma of double consciousness as they try, mostly fruitlessly, to reconcile their identity as being black and being American. 

Reference

Du Bois, W. E. B. (1903). The souls of black folk. Chicago, IL .