Double Dominance And The Harlem Renaissance

The division between whites and blacks was clearly prevalent and the United States of America was a racially discriminatory society reinforced by its racist laws. Hughes took the initiative to speak his mind via poetry, resulting in his piece “I, Too”. In this poem, Hughes clearly signifies one thing: Just because his skin color is different from whites, does not mean that they get to sing the National Anthem louder. Arguing that all American citizens are the same, disregarding their skin color, Hughes applies in this poem a master-slave relationship. The assumed white master shows disrespect to his servant by sending him away whenever visitors come over, because he is ordered to eat secluded from the company. However he seems to not be faze by this and actually finds it funny, supported by “But I laugh” (5). Furthermore, not only does he find amusement in this unpleasant situation, but the isolation has a positive effect on him “And grow strong” (7), implying that even though he submits to his master, his spirit will not be diminished.

W.E.B. Du Bois (1968-1963) was a huge contributor to sociology through the eyes and experience of an African-American scholar (Vissing, 2011). Du Bois was an author, activist and student of Black sociology. In his 1897 article, Strivings of the Negro People”, Du Bois introduced the term “double-consciousness”, a concept I believe to be just as relevant in today’s African-American communities. Double consciousness refers to what Du Bois considered an absence of “true self consciousness” (Du Bois, 1897) amongst Africans in America. In place of that absence, lies a dual awareness- awareness of one’s self combined with an awareness

Zora Neale Hurston’s “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” can be interpreted as a reverse response of W. E. B. DuBois’ concept of “double consciousness” that he describes in “The Souls of Black Folk.” Hurston shows that not all African Americans experience a sense of double consciousness and that some are instilled with the self confidence required to embrace one’s “blackness.” First, it may be helpful to define consciousness before attempting to explain the notion of double consciousness. Consciousness is defined as the state of being mentally aware of something: oneself, in this essay. Therefore, we can now define double consciousness as the state of an individual being mentally aware of “two selves”: one as you see yourself and the second as

The metaphor in line 3, “They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes,” expresses the oppression that African Americans still face (Hughes). However, as the poem progresses, a sense of hope appears. Found in line 15, “Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed---” the true value of African Americans will soon enough prevail (Hughes). In “I Too”, the narrator’s use of personal pronouns symbolizes the entirety of African Americans and how the oppression denotes isolation.

The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and literary period of growth promoting a new African American cultural identity in the United States. The years of 1920 and 1990 and “were clear peak periods of African American cultural production.” During these years blacks were able to come together and form a united group that expressed a desire for enlightenment. “It is difficult not to recognize the signs that African Americans are in the midst of a cultural renaissance” (English 807). This renaissance allowed Blacks to have a uniform voice in a society based upon intellectual growth. The front-runners of this revival were extremely focused on cultural growth through means of intellect, literature, art and music. By using these means

Langston Hughes poem “I, Too” was written during a time when segregation was in affect, blacks was not allowed to have a voice. “I, Too” spoke volumes to the people of the Harlem Renaissance, it showed that blacks would rise and would become part of the American dream instead of facing ongoing segregation. African Americans would

The early 20th century African-American scholar W.E.B. Du Bois identified the 'double consciousness' of African-Americans as the demand that African-Americans must understand white culture as well as their own to survive in a hostile, white-dominated America. Unlike whites, who could choose to interact with blacks only when it suited their needs (whether this meant employing them as servants or going to jazz clubs), African-Americans had to be hyper-aware of the needs of whites, given white political and economic dominance.

During the 20th century, colored people in America were seen as a problem. However, there were civil rights activists like William Edward Burghardt Du Bois who recognized the problem and advocated for reconstruction. In “The Souls of Black Folk,” W.E.B. Du Bois analyzes African American history, culture, and social standing. Unlike Booker T. Washington, Du Bois’ discussion of African American culture like the concept of double consciousness reflects his broader political and scholarly agenda of promoting political rights and higher education to fight black oppression.

Double Consciousness refers to a concept first explored by WEB Du Bois. This describes the African American man and his identity having to be split or divided. In other words it “describes the individual sensation of feeling as though your identity is divided into several parts, making it difficult or impossible to have one unified identity” (WEB Du Bois). Moreover, Du Bois also expresses that Black Americans have lived in a society that has made them feel inferior, it can become extremely difficult for them to bind their black identify with their American identity. This can in turn, cause blacks to look at their

Double consciousness is a concept proposed by W.E.B Du Bois in his book, “The Souls of Black Folk”. The concept of double consciousness illustrates the feeling that one does not have one identity as it has been split into, if not two then more, therefore making it a challenge for individuals to develop an identity which is true to the individual.

Hughes descriptive poem I, Too is portrayed as a symbol, he discusses the way the that black people were viewed in the eyes of other people with different skin colors. The opening stanza “I, too, sing America”, phrase represents I; the group of African American men painted as the “darker brother”. Hughes is declaring that he too is capable to be a part of the group of others Americans, that there should not be a division among

Through figurative language, Hughes’ diction evokes how inequality pervades the black community and demonstrates how they should respond to this issue. The repeated phrase “I, too,” emphasizes the speaker’s insistence on being included in America or as the poem indicates, “at the table”. In this case, the table represents bounty, camaraderie and community, all of which are missing in the speaker’s everyday life. That said, the “too” also represents being second, implying the speaker’s inferiority within society. Furthermore, it highlights two separate entities, black and white communities, that are divided rather than being one cohesive group. Hughes’ use of personal pronouns refers to a collective group, specifically the black community. Essentially, the black community desire to “sing America”, as they view themselves as the “darker [brothers]”. In other words, the white and black community are differentiated solely by their race, yet both claim to be patriotic citizens of the same country. This commonality should be the unifying agent between these communities to join as a family; however, the speaker discusses the resistance he confronts, as “they send [him] to eat in the kitchen.” The distinction of “they” depicts their authority over the speaker’s actions, insinuating his position as a domestic servant. In doing so, the cycle of inequality

The poem “I, Too” was written by Langston Hughes and published in 1945. In this poem, the speaker too “sings America”. He refers to himself as “the darker brother” who gets sent into the kitchen to every time guests arrive as if he was a slave in a White household. But the speaker laughs them off and says he will grow stronger. The speaker predicts a future in the third stanza where he is no longer sent into the kitchen to eat when guests arrive. And that happens because the other member of the house recognize his inner beauty and innocence and will regret and feel “ashamed” of their doings to him. He too is an American. The second poem I will be analyzing is “Dinner Guest: Me” by Hughes, published in 1965. In this poem, the speaker acknowledges that he is “the Negro Problem” who is getting “wined and dined” by White Americans. They keep asking the speaker the “usual” question. They seem hesitant but polite to the speaker when they approach him to ask their questions. The speaker, then, praises the lobster and the “divine’ wine but perceives that he is the center of the attention at the “damask” table. The speaker concludes that being the problem on “Park Avenue at eight” is not so despondent. He believes that there might be a solution which can “of course, wait”.

When one talks about the topics of African American history, civil rights, and progression, one cannot forget the importance of W.E.B. Du Bois. Born in 1868 in a rather integrated and tolerant part of Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up to be a profound sociologist, writer, and civil rights activist and even became the first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University. Living in an oppressive American society, W.E.B. Du Bois’ main goals called for the advancement of the African American community as he was a part of many organizations and movements such as the NAACP and the Niagra Movement. Many of Du Bois’ works commented on the inequality present in the American society and it was clear to see that Du Bois was focused and determined to resist racism and to strive for the illumination of the black society. Throughout his works, Du Bois has coined many key terms and phrases but none as impactful as the phrase “double-consciousness”. In his text The Problem of the Color Line at the Turn of the 20th Century, W.E.B. Du Bois uses the phrase “double-consciousness” as a means to describe the duality of African Americans within American society and the internal conflict that they experience due to oppression and inequality.

The poem I, Too by Langston Hughes was written in a prosperous time for Black Americans who obtained their cultural identity through expression of literature, art, music, and poetry. This time period is often referred to as the Harlem Renaissance because it was “cultural rebirth” of the Black community that took place in Harlem, New York. Many great poets and writers such as Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, Zora Neale Hurston and Countee Cullen blossomed during this time. They often expressed themselves through literature inspiring and enlightening their audiences. Also with the hopes of Civil Rights for Black Americans who sought for a brighter future for generations to come. The literary work by Langston Hughes, I, Too expresses the yearning of the Black community wanting to express themselves as Americans. Langston Hughes is able to captivate racial issues through his poetry in the context of his choice while applying historical viewpoints. Allowing his audience then and now to understand the struggle and empowerment of Black Americans during harsh times.