My own life in "double consciousness"

  I was a typical child. I would fall down, get up, fall and get up again. I felt I had a nice childhood.  I wanted to be friends with any and everyone. Some moments I was lucky others I was not. Was it my skin tone and lack of knowledge that I made only few white friends and more black friends? After reading W.E.B Du Bois's double consciousness I began to relate to the statements he made. Through my own experience I am constantly fighting to accept my skin tone and further push my education.
  In Du Bois's writing he states a black man's double conscious lies within the idea to be African and to be American.  To see such a divide in the two colors tore apart fellow men. The thought that I have to be African in one instance and American in another created thicker lines. The black man has such a struggle "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" (Du Bois 4). When I tried to make new friends i could those that judged me by my skin tone besides my personality.  Those that judged felt they were better than me.
  But not only judged by my skin tone but the fact I was a smart black girl. People did not like being upstaged by brains. Today young black people have let outside forces control how far they go in life. Du Bois calls this self-criticism. Letting the typical stereotypes, and negative words from others stop you from breaking free of your double consciousness.
  W.E.B Du Bois's writing inspired fellow black men to rise up and fight the binding laws  the white man has placed.  To fight to spread your wings and become both a African and American proudly. In modern times writers, poets, artists, and novelists depict the same message. Such as poet Kai Davis. In her spoken word "Fuck I Look Like" she too speaks of double consciousness. Davis speaks of how young black teens rather dumb themselves down then strive for a 4.0. In her own words she expresses how she mastered letting her intelligence show and embracing she is black. Davis mentions she will not let other people who don't want to grow stop her achievements.
  Both Du Bois and Davis share the same idea:  "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" (Du Bois 6).