The Defeat of the “Veil of Ignorance”
In previous decades, African Americans were the mere representation of slaves that initiated the isolation and discrimination towards them. African Americans did not have the privilege of leading a normal life as Americans because they were imposed through misery due to the enslavement and mistreatment of their owners. Their true suffering began with being hold hostage and set for enslavement in another country, which proliferated to the inhumane treatment of discrimination and segregation in the United States. W.E.B. Du Bois, the author Of our Spiritual Strivings, analyzes on how discrimination became an epidemic to society explaining his own experience and acknowledging the fact that he was part of this negligent institution that did not recognize the inequality, “the exchange was merry, till one girl, a tall newcomer, refused my card, — refused it peremptorily, with a glance. Then it dawned upon me with a certain suddenness that I was different from the others; or like, mayhap, in heart and life and longing, but shut out from their world by a vast veil” (Du Bois). How can a skin color instigate society’s exclusion towards a distinct feature from theirs?
Social realism elaborates our understanding on the root of racial discrimination. Social realism instigates knowledge and acceptance towards a society that is negligent and ignorant to social issues such as racism. Despite his intellectual knowledge, Du Bois, confesses that he experienced this “veil of ignorance” that prevented him to understand that racism was inhuman and unjust. Later in his life, Du Bois manage this idea of the veil of ignorance that interpret the social issues that we face and sometimes suffer, yet we try to evade them as if they did not exist. There is no doubt that African Americans struggle and resisted as much as they could to survive through all the misery. Despite all constant inhumane treatment, they never lost faith in themselves in order to never capitulate on their effort to overcome and succeed.
Throughout the 20th century, African Americans were battling through efforts, such as boycotts, sit-ins, protests, etc., in order to obtain their civil rights and recuperate their life that was sentence to misery for decades. They wanted to succeed among the other citizens in order to seek representation and a voice of their people among all the Caucasian Americans. Martin Luther King Jr., a leader of the Civil Rights movement, desired a change in the world in order for African Americans to be accepted and to have liberty. The desire to end segregation and proliferate integration was the ultimate goal. King, a non-violent activist, encouraged people abide through passive methods in order to obtain their goal without instigating violence. Luther was able to seek representation among the African American society and although his efforts were at times unproductive they resulted, in later years, in the liberation and the opportunity for the black community to obtain their civil rights. Martin L. King Jr. was able to advocate for the civil rights movement. Although his efforts resulted to his death, he was able to set a voice for a community that was uncared for.
There is no doubt this shift from Africans to African Americans was difficult and it took many decades it was obtainable. This transgression erupted behaviors and this idea that this community needed acceptance became known such as the follow excerpt mentions that, “he would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that Negro blood has a message for the world. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of Opportunity closed roughly in his face.” Du Bois had pride in his race and did not feel inferior to white people. African Americans do not want to forget about their heritage but they wanted to become part of America to be accepted as who they are. Barack Obama is an example that this ideal of “Negro blood” does not impede the success that one can have. Africans stood up for their rights and even though they always wished for a life of liberty when they obtained such life, it was surreal. Faith was never lost and that positive attitude resulted in their liberty and equal rights. Du Bois, believed that they could always do better and that one day they were going to have the equal treatment among the white community. Barack Obama is a symbol of the representation of success among the African American community who through blood, pain, and suffering they finally were able to integrate and were no longer inferior to the dominance of the “white” power.
