Double Consciousness

              W.E.B. DuBois feels that a black man's heritage lies within Africa, but has a double consciousness in America.  He feels he has been cursed growing up. W.E.B. DuBois feels he is living a double life. DuBois tells us his personal experience growing up as a black man in a white man's country. It seemed to me as if DuBois was saying culture is a dangerous thing for the mind if it is not alive outside of the household. A man becomes "confused" and starts to live a double life. People with a different heritage are constantly trying to reconcile their two cultures that compose their identify.  DuBois's main point is,  "To be really true, all these ideals must be melted and welded into one. The training of the schools we need to-day more than ever,--the training of deft hands, quick eyes and ears, and above all the broader, deeper, higher culture of gifted minds and pure hearts". I understand where W.E.B. DuBois is coming from, however I have a different point of view.

                After reading the first chapter of "The Souls of Black Folk" by W.E.B. DuBois's, I feel as if Double Consciousness is simply a state of mind.  The situation is what you make it and there should not be a "psychological challenge" in our time. DuBois feels there is a challenge to live in an environment where your heritage roots are different.  OfGrowing up with foreign parents I can see where he is coming from, however I think our situation has changed. It was completely different for  DuBois.  He grew up in a different time than us. There was extreme racism in DuBois's time compared to our time. DuBois first discovered this when a classmate refused to take a card from him due to his skin tone. When was the last time someone really excluded you because of your color? I have never been excluded because of my skin tone. The world is much more accepting now. In fact I think having a different heritage can only be beneficial. It provides more insight. I am glad I got some view as to how some people feel as a minority in America. In my opinion Double Consciousness is a self image evaluation and does not exist. it can be controlled in today's time.. "The Souls of Black Folk" should be recognized more for what it has done. It inspired black men to make change.