People Like Us [excerpt]

Tags: class, du bois, intersectionality, race/ethnicity, black middle class, double consciousness, the veil, subtitles/CC, 06 to 10 mins
Year: 2001
Length: 7:43
Access: No online access

Summary: This is another clip from People Like Us: Social Class in America (start 42:55; end 50:37).  It explores issues of race and class among the Black Middle Class.  It documents the tensions of upwardly mobile African Americans who want to achieve the celebrated (middle class) position of the American mainstream, but at the risk of losing their black culture and identity.  It is a good demonstration of Du Bois' concepts of the veil and double consciousness among a group that is aware of their own Black identity, but also aware of how mainstream White culture views them and the challenges they face as African Americans.

Submitted By: Paul Dean

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