Dive Into Discourse

W.E.B. DuBois writes as a Harvard graduate and Black man writes about his consciousness as having two identities and the consciousness he has of both. He begins talking about how even sympathizers struggle with ideation of “what it must feel like to achieve and to still know that you are a problem.”He believed that Black people could not truly achieve until they were afforded rights to public education, voting and general access. As an educated man, it is seemingly odd that he does not defend his points by proving his credibility, but instead he appeals to the emotion and seeks empathy in the readers allowing me to believe this is not written for a black audience but a white one. He did not need the science to refute the “facts” outlined in people like Hoffman’s and Taylor’s work. He needed to appeal to emotions as a human. He needed to be seen and heard. He doesn’t even request an even playing field, instead he just pleads to be allowed onto the playing field. He is asking for permission to have dignity to be more than disappointment.