Double Conciousness

First of all, let me start off by saying Kai Davis just said the realist thing I've ever heard or read. I can write a whole blog just off of that single Youtube video. But back to the topic at hand. DuBois describes Double consciousness as: "It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, 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." He goes on to write, ""He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that Negro blood has a message for the world. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of Opportunity closed roughly in his face." I took away a few things from these lines and this chapter in general. I am going to try and connect this with Micheal Sam and Kai Davis, as well as my own experiences. 

Micheal Sam is gay. He see's his self as an African American gay man. He even said that in the interview. Now being gay nowadays is nothing new but he's a football player in America. Football players are viewed in America as the sole definition of everything manly. Drinking beer, being violent, and being tough. Not being gay. Now i'm not 100% sure but I'd be willing to bet that there have been multiple gay football players to play in the NFL but no one wants to admit that because it threatens the perception of football players in America. Micheal has to deal with his own perception of his self and the perception that the public is now going to place him in. 

Kai Davis spoke on many topics as well. Her main issue was that how society views being smart is equivalent to being white and being dumb is equivalent black. The real problem with this perception is that black people believe this and have been trained to believe this since the end of slavery. Why can't we be smart and black? Why can't black be equal to white? Kai sees herself as smart and black and she wants the world to see her the same way. She wants the perception to change and she wants black people to thrive to be smart, to read a book, and to look at a white person or any other race and say I'm just as good as you. 

My thoughts on this concept are similar to Kai's. I want black people to stop trying to be cool and hip and new. I want them to be educated and conscious to the world around them. Yes there is already a perception surrounding us, but we have dealt with disadvantages our entire life and have overcame them with great success. We should change this perception so the many generations after us will not be faced with the same hurdles as the generations before us.