W. E. B Dubois Analysis

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W.E.B. Dubois attempts to explain the internal turmoil experienced by African Americans endeavoring to co-exist in a Caucasian dominated culture. His concept of life lived behind the veil of race and the consequence of double-consciousness lends to the experience of racial distinctions in America (p. 116). African Americans live with two differing identities that are inherently complex. The first experience is that of having a sense of self (identifying with one's ethnic roots) and the other is having an identity that is ascribed to the person of color through the historical lingering's of slavery. Double consciousness, according to DuBois, is considered the reality of one's life being lived out from behind the veil. The idea of race and whiteness, DuBois contends, is a system of practices, rather than a race, therefore having no claim to dominance (p. 118). …show more content…

114). Instead of receiving justice, African Americans were instead ignored. Rather than entertain the notion of going to war for democracy, Dubois' focus was directed upon identity and white privilege, establishing a correlation between race and domination (p. 119). Furthermore, he notes that the World War was primarily a display of emotionally charged struggles over the greatest ration in exploiting "darker races" (p. 119). Racism expressed by the issues of physical, economic oppression communicates the psychological experience of the prejudice exhibited towards people of color. Consequentially, Dubois condensed his expositions primarily on how racial prejudices impact people of color. Because discrimination was prevalent everywhere, DuBois resolves to expand his approach of creating a homogenous culture beyond blacks and whites ethnicities

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