African American Individuality Crisis In Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man

Du Bois’s concepts many African American suffered racial discrimination at the hand of White-America. They were lead to believe they were not equal to their White counterparts merely based on the color of their skin. W.E.B Du Bois outline his concept that addressed the division of cultures. He called this division color-lines. Color-lines that also made it difficult for blacks see themselves as anything other than the way they were portrayed by white-America.

He asserted that because of the exploitive relationship that black people have had with America, African-Americans struggle to reconcile these two cultures that compose their identity. He describes the “veil” that has been put over African-Americans, so that others do not see them as they are, but only through the lens of racial prejudice. The pervasive racism in American culture can cause African-Americans to internalize their own oppression. This leads to the sensation of double consciousness, which Dubois describes as “the 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“ (DuBois). This experience is demoralizing to African-Americans, causing their self-image to be distorted by the racist perceptions of whites.

Social phenomena The occurrences of modern Black social phenomena’s reflect Black people’s history in America; they are byproducts of a social system that has neglected their equality, liberty, justice, and needs. Most Black social phenomena are ironically misunderstood by the very system that help creates them. Along with being misunderstood, Black social phenomena’s are also blamed for many of society’s ills. The present welfare system was not created by black people but they receive the blame for its inefficiency. A vicious cycle has been created.

Ghettos, low-riders, hip-hop, rap, drugs and crime, it has got to be a Black man right? Saggy pants, unintelligible language, lazy, and the lists continue to both stereotype and describe Blacks. Do Black Americans perpetuate their own discrimination? Are Black Americans creating their own low status in society? Black people around the world have been hypnotized into believing all their failures in life are due to discrimination, but are they correct?

The neglect of Negro history is harmful to African Americans because it deprives the race from their whole heritage. The oppressors would do this to tarnish the African background in order to keep the African race inferior. Woodson writes, “In history, o... ... middle of paper ... ...426). The mistrust led to trying to shut down their own people’s businesses using the whites biased and teachings. Black businesses which were run by the uneducated were not supported because they were not adequate to run a business.

This proves that segregation has not always been common within American cities, but rather emerged at a certain point in time. These communities were formed in opposition to the desires of the blacks, through the beliefs, opinions, and practices of the whites. Their initial purpose was to contain the e... ... middle of paper ... ...ty that has plagued America for generations if they so choose. In conclusion, racial segregation provides a gateway for countless other forms of injustice. Blacks are forced to live in a world, in which poverty is an epidemic, infrastructure is inadequate, education is non-existent, families are torn apart, and crime and violence are everywhere.

Moreover, it sheds light upon the psychological consequences that resulted from the violation of the African-American’s identity. Furthermore, this chapter shows the African-American’s self debasement, helplessness, and double consciousness that emanate from the sense of uprootedness. After experiencing the long and excruciating experience of slavery as well as Jim Crow segregation in America, the African-Americans suffered from a sense of uprootedness due to their loss of identity. Thus by accepting the distorted image that is imposed upon him by the American society, the African-American is forced to lead a life in double consciousness. Thus, the black race suffered from a social estrangement and displacement in the American world: … a world which yields him no true self consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world.

Why are people not judged by who they are but instead what they look like? People judge people without find out who they are, what are their values, or their upbringing. Instead, they are categorized as a particular type of people based on how they appear. In Malcolm Gladwell’s essay,”Trouble Makers” he tells of how wrongful generalizations are made on a group of people or things. While in Brent Staples essay,”Just Walk on By” he tells of his personal struggled being racially profiled as an African American man.

Prejudice in Maycomb is both racial and socio-economic. “The Cunninghams don’t like the Ewells” (226) because they consider them lower class. The “Ewells hate and despise the colored folks.” (226) The trial has given Bob Ewell the opportunity to not only persecute a black man but to feel in a very public way that he is superior and more believable to the jury because of his race. &nb...

One of the Psychopathic Personality effects of living in a society rooted in White supremacy is that Blacks, throughout many scholars thesis are referred to as powerless, and hopeless, many talk about self-hatred, despair, and self-destruction (Karenga, 2010). Some of the effects are Black on Black violence is seen in crime in general. It’s seen in relationships between Blacks, and their environment in which they live. Psychopathic Personality effects can be seen in behavior types such as anger, oppression, and submission. Dr. Bobby Wright list a few keys ti understanding the Psychopathic Personality (Karenga, 2010).