After reading the Du Bois selection, consider responding to some or all of the following questions in this journal entry:
What is the argument that Du Bois is trying to make in "Of Our Spiritual Strivings"? How do you think Du Bois's concept of double-consciousness applies to Barack Obama's text? Think about the way Obama describes his feelings, thoughts, and emotions throughout the first section, "Origins". In what ways does Obama react to the various life-changing situations he experiences? What events in Obama's life relate to some of the things that Du Bois discusses nearly a century earlier?
Do you think that double-consciousness, as described by WEB Du Bois, can be extended beyond the" polarized" races of black and white? Is there the possibility of a triple-, multi-, or poly-consciousness? How does this "fragmented" consciousness affect the individual? How does ownership and/or possession factor in here?
Explain your answer using either course text, if not both, as support. Draw from personal experience too, if you can, when answering these questions. Be sure to cite the appropriate page numbers if you quote something!
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The argument that Du Bois is trying to make is that no race needs to change so that people of different races can live in peace, but he is saying that each race needs learn something about each other and use that to improve themselves because each culture or race lacks something greatly that another culture has. Du Bois' concept of double-consciousness applies to Barack Obamas text because in Dreams from my Father Barack Obama struggles with identifying himself at a young age until he grows up and decides that he is black. However in Du Bois' text he knew from a very young age that he was different because of his skin color but in Obamas book it seems as if he didn't really accept that he was "different" until he was more mature. Obamas life as described in his book relate to Du Bois mainly in the way he was treated by other people, not in an obvious racist way but when people used to speak to Barack Obama for example they would always do it kind of as if they were trying to make him feel better or make themselves look just, in Du Bois' writing he describes it best when he writes " They approach me in a half-hesitant sort of way, eye me curiously or compassionately, and then, instead of saying directly, How does it feel to be a problem? they say, I know an excellent colored man in my town; or Do not these Southern outrages make your blood boil" pages 1-2. I believe the double-consciousness, can be extended beyond the black and white race, however we dont see that very often because conflicts have always been between blacks and whites and the way they are polarized.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Obama's "Origins", Dubois' "Of Our Spiritual Strivings" and Alen's comment, I think that Dubois' ideas about "double-conciousness" is a little more clear to me. I want to point out first that Dubois and Obama are coming from different backgrounds - Obama is not a descendent of an African Slave, which is a specific reality in the United States, Obama from what I can tell in the book, never really seemed to be so concerned with how he was going to pay for his education or anything, so he was reasonably well-off in his upbringing. I like to think of privilege, not in terms of just whiteness but in all of its manifests such as class, race, education level, immigrant status and the list goes on. So, looking at Obama is terms of simply "double-conciousness" and his relation to race is difficult for me.
ReplyDeleteObama and Dubois seem to share similar longing to belong to a world that is does not simply look at them wit hesitance and doubt. Like Alen was getting at, there relationships to their blackness comes from the way others have perceived them and perceived to them and interacted with them through out their lives. However, Obama seems to be striving towards Dubois overall vision to overthrow the history of Black men in America which Dubois breaks down in his writing, "The shadow of the mighty negro past flits through the tale of Ethiopia the Shadowy and of Egypt the Sphinx, Through history, the power of single black men flash here and there like falling star, and die sometimes before the world has rightly gauged their brightness" (Dubois 3). So, I would say that it very much applies to Obama's text as both men are struggling to unravel their identity in relation to the history of those who look like them, are associated with them and that they identify with.
In terms of the question of whether or not this internal conflict is merely polarized by black and white or if it extends further, I would say it does as I pointed out early but I think that within these readings that Obama and Dubois are speaking about their personal connection to race and power and how there journey with these two realities affects them spiritually.
Many events we read in Dreams can be used as examples to show a relation between Obama’s experience and some of the things Du Bois discusses, whether it be his time in Chicago as a community organizer trying to fix many of the ills identified by Du Bois that were still issues in the black community, or Obama’s own struggles with issues associated with a black identity. However I believe the one event that to me drew the strongest parallel to Du Bois text was the moment in which he lost his innocence. One day reading an article in LIFE magazine Obama learned of a chemical treatment that would (unsuccessfully) turn black skin white. Even though he was just a young child he knew that there was something wrong in the lives of these people, some evil present in our society that cast shadows on a black persons soul. Though he may not have realized it then, this was the moment where Barack Obama lost his innocence. Unlike Du Bois, who at the moment of losing his innocence was filled with a “hatred of the pale world (pg. 2)”, the effects upon the young Barry Obama were less immediate. These effects become noticeable once Obama reaches high school and college. He began to grapple with identity, experienced issues with self-esteem, began to use drugs and alcohol to escape from these internal struggles.
ReplyDeleteIn both Obama and Du Bois works’ (grammar?) there is talk of the double-consciousness inside individuals. One question in this assignment asks about the affects of a fragmented individual. While there are an abundance of examples in both works we have read so far I would prefer to use something an example from my own life. I was raised and educated to be a modern orthodox Jew. The goal of modern orthodoxy is to create “ a man in the streets and a Jew in the home.” On one hand we should be secular and fully immersed in the societies in where we live, and on the other hand we should remain faithful and observant of all the laws in our religion. This dual or fragmented consciousness affects me every day. Unable to reconcile the two in my heart, I grapple with questions every day that arise from these fragmentations. One side wants to leave Judaism forever, immerse itself in secular culture and be only American and not the American Jew. Yet can I really live the rest of my life absent of a culture that has until this point defined my life? And what about the other side? The Jewish side that no matter how hard I try I cannot fully believe in? Can I really live my life according to laws that I don’t completely believe? Can I really leave my family and live life on my own, separated from my family and the culture that is their life force? The truth is that until there is some sort of reconciliation or separation of the two my life is paralyzed and I am unable to move forward with my life.
Du Bois' message in the text, i'd say, addresses the fact that prejudice still plagues the world today despite all the reforms and progress some believe our civilization has gone through. Du Bois states that, "The nation has not yet found peace from it's sins; the freedman has not yet found in freedom his promiseland"(Du Bois 5). To me he is saying that although many have fought long and hard to rid the world of evils like slavery, it will take much longer to do away with the root of that evil, racism (or any other prejudice).
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of Obama's novel "Dreams", I remeber this being brought up during class and I agree that his life is like a journey. Whether It was during his stay in Indonesia with Lolo or the time he was in Los Angeles for college, talking with Regina I saw the changes in Obama's outlook on life. I recognized the feeling he had when the cold hard facts of life hit him in the face, and instead of turning into a cynic or a skeptic he takes these blows and builds his character.
Du Bois and Obama interlap in their thoughts when it came to the idea of having a double-consciousness. Du Bois reflects on the hardships of being a black man and an american and Obama reflects on being of several races.
I think the arguement that Du Bois is trying to make is that people of African American descent had it hard in this country. He also talks about how he came to realize how racist people can be. He mentions a situation where a girl refused to take an exchange card from him and that is where it dawned on him that he was different from the others. I think Du Bois could relate to Obama's situation because as young adolescent he was having trouble finding himself since he was born from a white mother and a black father and he had to find himself sort of like Du Bois. I also feel that Du Bois got into the struggles, plight and journey for African Americans and like Vince mentioned in his post Obama describe his life as a journey also.
ReplyDeleteDu Bois described double consciousness as "this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity." (page 3) I think that double consciousness could be extended beyond the races of black and white. I myself being of hispanic descent and living an area that is predominately white have often felt critizced of others because of my race. I tried to see myself how they saw me and I couldn't understand there views and opinions. This type of fragmented conciousness may actually help an individual in some cases. If you are able to see yourself in the eyes of others, you can figure out what flaws or imperfections you have and you can then be able to correct them. It may also hurt a person causing their self-esteem to go down.
I believe W.E.B. Du Bios is trying to state that you can be African American. He is saying that among people it is ok and should be the acceptable things to co exist with each other regardless of the differences you may have between you, whether it be race, religion, gender or something else. There isn’t need to change yourself just to please people or to find your place in life. Instead of disliking each other you can learn and grow from one another. He may have spoken mostly about the white Americans and the Negro Americans but I believe he meant it in every sense. It relates to Obama’s book because they both speak about simply growing up and not realizing till later on that they were different from the other people or children around them. They just thought of everyone as the same but unfortunately not everyone thinks the same way. I believe they both strive to achieve the same goal, to have everyone live together in harmony without first thinking of the difference in race. I do believe it extends beyond the double-consciousness to a possible triple or multi-consciousness. I think it can be possible for people to feel they are a part of many smaller groups and one main larger group, but then each group can see them in a different light. I think it can be a religion or a racial thing. I myself am white but I am also Jewish. I think it’s hard at times to be both because when you’re dealing with your everyday life and people all around you they see you differently than people who are also Jewish because they might not really understand the reasoning behind how you live your life. Maybe if some people took the time to ask questions and learn everyone would be better off. =)
ReplyDeleteDu Bois is trying to make a major argument in "Of Our Spiritual Strivings". That is, race should'nt be the determining factor of treatment in America. He addresses several of his concerns such as being born a problem and not ever being able to shine brightly like a white man. Du Bois also mentions a concept called double consciousness which is seeing the world through someone elses view. This concept can relate to Barack Obama's Dreams from my father autobiography because both men are on the same boat. However Obama's case is less harsh because he dealt with his race issue more recently when situations were changing. Obama faced many problems in his life and as he grew up, he realized he was different than the others. Obama deals with his life-changing experiences in an accepting way. Dubois mentions on page 3 in "Of Spiritual Findings" how black folks are like "falling stars and die sometimes before the world has rightly gauged their brightness". Obama relates to this quote in his book because he mentions that there was doubt in black people, meaning that they werent expected to be anything big. However Obama decided he was going to be successful and lead organizations to make the world a better place. Double conciousness, as described, can be extended beyond the polarized races of black and white because other races are put down in America in different ways. This fragmented consciousness may effect individuals self esteem.
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ReplyDeleteI believe the argument that Du Bois is trying to make is that an African-American in this country must embrace both thier African heritage and thier present American lives. Du Bois' phrase "double-consciousness" explains the feeling that many African-Americans have of "two warring ideals in one dark body". Obama explains his experience of this feeling of being different and not being able to find his true identity. As he gets older he realizes that people treat him differently according to what they think his identity is, and learns much about people's misconceptions of race. When his grandmother, Toot, is frightenend by a man simply because he is black ,Obama realizes that even if a person is well-intentioned and thinks of themselves as tolerant and unbiased they may still have some subconcious predjudice within them.
ReplyDeleteI think that the "double-conciousness" feeling of identity crisis has more to do with than just race and can have many different variables accoording to the individual.
I think that if an individual is confused and undecided about what their identity is then they will always feel out of place and isolated.
The ideas that DuBois presents in "Of Our Spiritual Strivings", to me are similar to the ones that Obama presents in "Origins". They both look at where they come from and decide that even though they have a certain identity, they will not let that stop them from reaching their goals and finding their place. As I read through "Of Our Spiritual Strivings" I felt as though Dubois kept speaking of a feeling of not belonging, not really having a place. He states that even after the Emancipation Proclamation is written and effective "the freedman has not yet found his freedom in promiseland"(5). He is basically saying that even though he is an American, he has to remember that he is also African-American and will still be treated a certain way because of this. However, he refused to let this "problem" hold him back. In other words, as Fatema and others have pointed out, "race shouldn't be a determining factor" in how people are treated or what they acieve. This was the same for Obama. Yes, he identified himself as black and that did create "problems" for him, but he was not ready to let htese "problems" from letting him reach his goals. Both authors bring up a very important issue that many people struggle with today. Many people still find that them theirselves are the "problem" in their life. They are the "problem" because of who they are whether it be defined by their race, ethnicity, gender, where they live, sexual preference and so much more. Both these authors tell us to accept all sides of who we are but not to let it stop us fro doing what we want to do.
ReplyDeleteDespite the difference in setting, specifically that of the time period of each work, there are several evident parallels drawn between Barack Obama's "Dreams From My Father" and W.E.B. Du Bois' "Of Our Spiritual Strivings." Most blatantly, each piece distributes ideas regarding the authors' plight in their struggle not only for equality, but identity. These ideas are presented almost immediately in both pieces: Du Bois describes the ways in which he is approached [by those of another race], seemingly apprehensively, only to be condemned and presented as a problem. In the first chapter of Obama's book, he describes the various ways in which he experienced loneliness. In this, Obama builds a foundation and foreshadows the topics and issues dealt with in the remainder of the book, and also creates a possible example of symbolism, relating to the struggles of the African American population in American society. However, the majority of Obama's struggles deal with association, as he is unsure whether to consider himself white or black, while Du Bois is forced to deal with the ignorance and racism of early twentieth century American society.
ReplyDeleteDu Bois' concept of 'double-consciousness' is especially relevant to Obama's text. Each author deals with different forms of this idea, while both dealing with the true nature of the concept, thus creating a paradox. Obama's double-counscious state regards his two backrounds. He understands he cannot truly fit in to any one group, yet tries very hard to fit in to both. Du Bois simply deals with the fact that he understands himself to be equal, but lives in a world where social norms do not allow this to be so. Du Bois realizes the world to be black and white, despite the remainder of the spectrum of race and life. In this is Du Bois' only evident expression of ignorance, in that he fails to address the circumstances, and even the existence, of races beyond simply black and white.
I believe in his work, "Of Our Spiritual Strivings," Du Bois tries to get across that life for African Americans in this country has been very difficult. That although slavery times in the United States have passed, African Americans still endured and always will in one way or another endure racial challenges in life. At a young age in post-slavery times, a young girl refused to exchange Valentine’s Day cards with him due to his racial background. This was the moment at which I believe Du Bois realized the ongoing existence of racism, and I believe in writing such works as “Of Our Spiritual Strivings,” Du Bois is expressing his knowledge and acceptance of that fact. I believe his reference to the concept of double-consciousness, “This sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others.”(Du Bois pg 3) shows his mentality and suffering of living life as a black man; to not see what you see, who you are, but rather what people see and judge from the outside. In Obama’s book, “Dreams of My Father,” Obama too portrays this mentality when ‘expressing’ his journey through life figuring out who he is as an individual. Throughout this journey, he came upon race related issues he didn’t know existed or was prior blinded to, which have helped shape him into who he has become. This further brings across Du Bois’s argument of racial matters existing and affecting people, the outcome being either positive or negative, whatever the person makes of it.
ReplyDeleteIn "Of Our Spiritual Strivings" by W.E.B du bois, Du bois speaks of his understanding on the topic of racism in America. As a child Du bois was raised in the reconstruction period after the civil war, while Barak Obama was raised in a more modern society where racism still existed but had changed from a time when Du Bois was around. W.E.B. Du Bois' concept of Double-Consciousness reflects itself in Barak Obama’s book, "Dreams of My Father" during the "Origins" section, when Obama is faced with racism he begins to doubt himself. Obama's views of himself change in a way that create a "double-consciousness" in which he feels there is either something wrong with him or there is something wrong with everyone else. This can be seen in an excerpt from Obama's text, “I went into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror with all my senses and limbs seemingly intact, looking as I had always looked, and wondered if something was wrong with me.” (Obama 52). Du Bois creates the double-consciousness concept because he was faced with such a situation as well, at a young age when he realized that society did not view him the same way he viewed himself. Double-consciousness can be viewed in more ways than the polarized black and white race issues. The concept can be used in any situation a person believes there is nothing wrong with his actions, but the public decides otherwise. An example would be someone in school who is rejected because he is gay. The idea of "double-consciouness" can be used with any opposing ideas where one party is rejecting an attribute of another party. The idea of a poly-consciouness seems unlikely but could be possible if viewed with the example of religion, when a Muslim is given stereotypes by both the Christian and Jewish communities they have many views on what he should be and what he thinks is accepted.
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