9/7 Reading Reflection

I have read selections of Dubois in previous American history courses, and often studied Dubois in contrast to Booker T. Washington’s take on the situation of blacks in America. While Washington argued that blacks must first reach economic progress through self improvement before political equality, and supported segregation, Dubois supported organized action to overthrow systemic racism that held African Americans down. Before reading the selected chapter from “The Souls of Black Folk”, I assumed his literature would present the same mentality of organization and active resistance by African Americans to gain equality. As for the Pinn reading, based on the title I assumed this would focus on the dehumanization of blacks in America through slavery.

While reading Dubois, I was very intrigued by his explanation of a “double consciousness” that African Americans are forced into; their dehumanization in America forces them to see themselves both as a human, and as the “other world” forces them to see themselves (lesser and subordinate to the white class). The reference to a double consciousness reminded me of one of my most favorite novels, “Invisible Man”, in which the main character struggles throughout the book to see himself, not in terms of the white narrative, but as a black man whose skin does not determine his place in society. I am quite sure Ralph Ellison drew a lot from Dubois in his writing.

While watching the Turner Classic commentary on “A Birth of a Nation”, I was surprised by the reference to the film as a “technical masterpiece” and did not know that while being incredibly racist and damaging to the black reputation, it was also innovative for film at the time. This only increases the damaging effects of the film for not only would it draw more people to watch it, but it also could be used as a justification for the film.

While reading “Look, a Negro!”, I was suprised in learning that the justification for slavery based on race did not emerge until the 18th century, and that originally, Europeans used the biblical story of Canaan to explain the subordination of blacks in the world. While I was aware of the use of this biblical story, I found it interesting how the enlightenment and its definition of the human as a physical being instead of through their relationship to God, forced whites to explain the subordination of certain people through physical characteristics (race).