Of Our Spiritual Strivings



Here Du Bois openly expresses an experience that could easily be hostile and filled with contempt. Instead, Du Bois exposes a unique woven quality of introducing the conflict of races and how one endures such a humiliating experience. Further on in the essay Du Bois begins to take in the plight of negative or naive energy around him but decides to make something out…of nothing. He states:

“I had thereafter no desire to tear down that veil, to creep though, I held all beyond it in common contempt and lived above it in a region of blue sky and great wandering shadows.”

Du Bois expertly described the surge of contempt but the undying strength to move forward. To strive for excellence of being a man of color in a world that has labeled him the lowest of the low. The masterful way Du Bois vision of the world during this time is excellently done in the following phrase: to tear down that veil to creep through.” It it holds so much truth and honesty, and the essay is completely breathtaking to read as for it motivates your emotion to not only relate to the issues at hand, however, it urges you feel it.

What I find the conclusion "Of Our Spiritual Striving" was really in the middle of the essay, fore Du Bois brillantly shows determination of purpose and higher focus on the big picture of things. That part that confirms this to me is as follow:“in a region of blue sky and great wandering shadows.” I, myself, could not have come up with a more perfectly woven statement, in order to conclude the awareness that I am different from those around me. In hopes to discover the true source of knowing that when I am not of the same color -- that I am an unique spiritual beging. I acknowledge the inner self of my soul that it is the true captive of my identity. Du Bois expresses this feeling with another insertion:

“One ever feels his twoness, an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts two unrecognized strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.”

The conclusion of this discover and determination is striving for the knowing of self. Once this is successfully accomplished, one can fully strive to achieve the dreams that sit upon that beautiful bronze horizon -- waiting on us to
The copyright of the article Of Our Spiritual Strivings in Writing from Harlem is owned by Nichel Anderson. Permission to republish Of Our Spiritual Strivings in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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