My Multimodal project focuses on Double Consciousness by going over Langston Hughes and The Harlem Renaissance, along with analyzing Of “Du Bois and Diaspora” by Michael Gomez.
African American. A paradox of an identity. Throughout the history of America, Black people have always had to conceal their identity. Put a veil over it. They gained a double consciousness while living to die in America. Double Consciousness is to have a conflict arisen within a group in an oppressed society. This conflict being the censor Black people have attained due to having to live a double life in America because its culture is frowned upon. Amongst other things of course, Black people’s culture and heritage have always been suppressed and have always tried to be destroyed. But it’s always been brought to light for generations. Which shows the power of Afrocentricity. Throughout this project I will present how double consciousness has always been at the center of African American’s lives. From “Harlem: The Culture Capital” by Alain Locke showcasing how powerful a Black community can be when not having to worry about bigotry, to how double consciousness is portrayed throughout time demonstrated by Michael Gomez in “Of Du Bois and Diaspora” to Langston Hughes and his poem “Weary Blues” ending with a simple yet heavy piece of artwork done by The Atlantic for their short animation film “How Does It Feel to Be a Problem?”
In “Of Du Bois and Diaspora” by Michael Gomez, he stresses the fact that the problem with being “African American” is that you can never fully be an American. In a segment in the article Gomez states “He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of White Americanism. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American” (Gomez 176). One cannot simply be African and American, and Gomez makes sure to emphasize on that fact. How people will never be able to view Africans as fully American. He dwells on that once more when he states “It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity,” (Gomez 175). Pity and amused contempt, are the terms Gomez uses to portray how Americans view Africans. It’s almost as if the phrase “African American” is a paradox.
In “Harlem: The Culture Capital” written by Alain Locke, it portrays how Harlem is the most Black dominated area in all of America (at the time, 1925) and is THRIVING. No need for division, or a private sect of just only black people. It’s in the heart of New York City, and anybody can pass by it. “The language of Harlem is not alien; it is not Italian or Yiddish; it is English. Harlem talks American, reads American, thinks American. Second, Harlem is not a section cut off. It is merely a zone through which four main arteries of the city run.” (Locke 271) Harlem has its own churches, social and civic centers, shops, theaters and much more. It was also said that its precinct was the most law abiding precinct in the state (Locke 272) However with all this success, and Black people merely living their lives and keeping to themselves, how do they still have to live with a double conscious? Let’s talk about Langston Hughes. Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902. He attended Columbia University, but left after one year to travel. He started writing poetry and was so good he was later promoted by Vachel Lindsay, and Hughes published his first book in 1926. He went on to write countless works of poetry, prose and plays, as well as a popular column for the Chicago Defender. Prior to all these achievements, when Langston was in his early years of school he was elected class poet. To which he thought it was because of the stereotype about African Americans having rhythm. Langston stated, “I was a victim of a stereotype. There were only two of us Negro kids in the whole class and our English teacher was always stressing the importance of rhythm in poetry. Well, everyone knows, except us, that all Negroes have rhythm, so they elected me as class poet”. In high school he wrote for the school paper, edited the yearbook, and began on his first short stories, poetry, and dramatic plays. In the future, he was a major figure within The Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was an African-American cultural movement that occurred in the 1920s that presented African American writers, poets, dancers, and singers with the opportunity to express themselves and show off their talents. Langston utilized his experiences in Harlem to reflect upon the reality of what Black people went through living in America as “free” people. He then portrayed his thoughts and interaction through his poetry. His most famous poem “The Weary Blues” is heavily intertwined with double consciousness.
Youtube Video:
Powerpoint: double c presentation DONEE
WORKS CITED
Locke Alain, “Harlem: The Culture Capital” The New Negro: An Interpretation, 1925,
1925, http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai3/community/text1/johnsonharlem.pdf
Accessed 14 Dec. 2020.
Gomez, Michael A. “Of Du Bois and Diaspora: The Challenge of African American Studies.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 35, no. 2, 2004, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4129300.
Accessed 14 Dec. 2020.
Hughes Langston, “Weary Blues” Poetry Foundation, 1926 https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47347/the-weary-blues Accessed 14 Dec. 2020.
“How Does It Feel To Be A Problem.” Youtube Video, 16 Mar. 2018, www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/ Accessed 14 Dec. 2020.
Hughes Langston, “Weary Blues” CBS Vancouver, 1958 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM7HSOwJw20&t=142s Accessed 14 Dec. 2020.
