Though originally published in 1903, W. E. B. Du Bois’s Souls of Black Folk continues to provide a frame
through which we can explore the experience of being “other” in the United States of America.
Based on a consideration of the first chapter “Spiritual Strivings” (using your own words), explain Du Bois’s
concept of double consciousness and then identify and describe one or two contemporary U.S. based
examples of this phenomenon.
A key question — Du Bois argued that the African American “ever feels his [or her] twoness.” How is this
“twoness” manifested in the current social context?
I have included a couple of links below to articles, reviews, and/or audio recordings about the work of Du Bois.
You also have a link to the full work (Souls of Black Folk) in iCollege. Please remember to write in your own
words and cite all sources properly! Note: You may locate other resources on your own, if you prefer.
The Atlantic: Strivings of the Negro People
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1897/08/strivings-of-the-negro-people/305446/
Duke University Press (American Literature): Article about Double Consciousness
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2927837.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Af504fdc2f126475c9cfac4cdf2ebc22d
Study.com Video Lesson on Du Bois
https://study.com/academy/lesson/double-consciousness-du-bois-definition-lesson-quiz.html
Sample Solution
