The concept of double consciousness is attributed to W.E. B. Dubois after his publication of 1903. He explained that the black people were not able to have a common or unified identity because of the sensations of two-warring ideals in one body. Because the blacks had been devalued for a long time, they struggled to find their own identity. They, actually, ended up viewing themselves in the eyes of others. On one hand, they had incredible values, culture, and traditions that made them unique. On the other hand, other races in America and Europe perceived them as criminals, less humans, and undeserving. Arguably, though the concept of double consciousness was coined in the era of slavery, racial intolerance, and autocracy, it is still relevant today.
Double Consciousness and Policing
For a start, the police criminalize black people more than the white people. They are concentrated in jails for various crimes such as drug traffic, violent murders, and even petty offenses. More so, police are more dispersed in black neighborhoods more than in other residences. Ironically, white people equally engage in drugs abuse and trafficking and other criminal activities. Further, people who have white-collar jobs, mostly the white race, are not criminalized and prosecuted often because of the perception that these crimes are not serious. You are also likely to find fewer policemen in neighborhoods and cities with a multi-racial population. With such an approach, the black get a distorted image of who they are and even fear that they will be criminalized based on their color and not their deeds.
The Blacks Have Become What They Have Heard and Thought Of
In addition, the media, being mostly composed of the white people, has tended to focus on the ills of the black people. Some of the remarkable things that they have done to change the society are hardly highlighted. Hence, the society is made to think that the black people have less to offer, and that they deserve the kind of poor treatment that they get. As a result, many blacks have grown up with a double consciousness. Their self- image and esteem is distorted in such a way that they do not seek good jobs even when they qualify. Still, they have embraced what they have heard from the rest of the society, to the end that they have ended up engaging in criminal activities. As psychologist say, they have become what they have constantly heard and thought of. Precisely, many blacks are still experiencing the double consciousness concept of W.E. B. Dubois because of the biased policing and media coverage.