Of Our Spiritual Strivings by W.E.B.
Dubois is the first essay in the author’s book The Souls of Black Folk published in 1903. The essay starts out with a poem by Arthur Symons, which have a theme similar to the African-American problem. After presenting the poem, Dubois immediately moves on to the problem of the black community which is often presented to him by other people but is not directly asked.Dubois recalls that the problem was a strange experience even as a kid-At first he was enjoying life as kid but reality soon sinks in as he had his first encounter with racism in school. Soon, everything was becoming clear to him—that the world he was in was not a fair one.
Dubois then talks about the double consciousness that the Negro had, that they do not see themselves because they are always being judged by how other races see them. What the Negro wanted was to be a Negro and American at the same time, minus the discrimination on their black side.Dubois defends his race by saying that the Negro has the capacity to be a genius, and in most cases the ideas of the Negro are overlooked and if recognized, it is only after death. Poverty has made the Negro incompetent in their work, and sometimes they become ashamed of their jobs because of their lowly nature. All this criticism towards the race has made the black artist confused, because they draw inspiration from their own race but is highly criticized.Because of the oppression the Negroes cherished Freedom more than any other race and thinks of slavery as the root of all evil.
Dubois then moves on to the “progress” of their freedom. Emancipation was promising but proved to be insufficient to their needs and so they strived for voting rights.Voting was not enough, the Negroes also fought for education. And so the Negroes became equipped with tools in assessing their situation, these made the Negroes totally aware of their oppression and so now they fight for equality, which is far more important than voting rights and education.
Key Points of ‘Of Our Spiritual StrivingsThe essay primarily talks about the struggle of the African-Americans to find their place in a society dominated by the oppressive whites. Here are some of the key points that Dubois talked about in his essay:“How does it feel to be a problem?” (Dubois). This is the question indirectly asked to Dubois presumably by his white neighbors. The question sounds insulting, and it is because it links the person directly to a problem—the problem of merely existing with just a darker shade of skin.
A proper question would be like how does he feel about the African-American community’s problem and not suggesting that the person is a problem. Despite the seriousness and insult of the question, Dubois just shrugs it off and takes it coolly. One important point that Dubois made in his opening paragraphs is that the Negro oppression does not pick a certain age because as he recalls he first experienced discrimination at school.“He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both Negro and an American without being cursed or spit on by his fellows, without having the doors of opportunity closed roughly in his face.” (Dubois).
Dubois points out that this is the dilemma that the Negro community is faced—are they Africans or are they Americans?For Dubois, he wanted both, they are both African and American at the same time. They wanted to respect their heritage of being Africans and have equal opportunities as an American citizen.Dubois also points out that the limited and lowly works that are only available to the African-Americans, results into poorly done products which only add to the criticism of the population.“The double-aimed struggle of the black artisan—on the one hand to escape white contempt for a nation of mere hewers of wood and drawers of water, and on the other hand to plough and nail and dig for a poverty stricken horde—could only result in making him a poor craftsman, for he had but half a heart in either cause.” (Dubois).
“…few men ever worshipped Freedom with half such unquestioning faith as did the American Negro…” (Dubois). What Dubois was trying to say is that because the Negroes experienced slavery and so much oppression that they relish on the idea of Freedom and understand its importance.In turn, they despised slavery (as well as anyone should) and that the Emancipation declaration was the “promise land.” But despite the Emancipation declaration (the freeing of the slaves), the Negroes were still suffering, which is an altogether separate point made by Dubois.
“…forty years of renewal and development, and yet the swarthy spectre sits in its accustomed seast at the Nation’s feast.” Dubois was referring to the oppression still felt by the Afrincan-Americans. For Dubois, freedom has not yet been fully attained and this is a big disappointment for him.The African-Americans came to believe that in order to attain true freedom they must have more rights, Political rights like voting. Although he believed in the power of this means of attaining rights, he thought these are not true signs of freedom—Education is a more effective way in attaining equality.After the Emancipation, voting rights, and especially education, the African-Americans started to reflect on what has happened to them in the past, and so they realize that voting rights and education amount to nothing because their “voting is vain” and education is pointless because they just wound up as servants still.
It’s not that Dubois does not appreciate them it’s just what was provided to them were mediocre.As his final points Dubois points out that the voting rights, and education are not wrong, in fact, they are needed, but they are needed together not one at a time and each must grow in order to achieve real equality. And that the struggle of the African-Americans is what best exemplifies the spirit of the Declaration of Independence.
