In his book, The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. DuBois presented the idea of “double consciousness,” urging African Americans to not only consider the way they viewed themselves, but also the way others viewed them, particularly white Americans.

DuBois’s idea of double-consciousness advised African Americans to appeal to white Americans, a task which was easier and more ideal for those of a higher economic class and lighter skin.

In The Crisis, DuBois writes, “Garvey is an extraordinary leader of men, but it had been a mistake for him to try to bring Caribbean color politics to the United States…American Negroes recognized no color line in or out of the race and they will in the end punish the man who attempts to establish it.”

This is equivalent to today’s rhetoric – “I don’t see color.” It is a defense mechanism to shield one’s privilege and deny racism by turning it around on the accuser. To say this in 1920, when light-skinned blacks and biracial people definitely did benefit from more privileges than their dark-skinned counterparts, implies that dark-skinned African Americans were to blame for their poverty and lack of success.

DuBois was not unaware. More possibly, he felt his privilege attacked by talks of colorism and inequality in the black community, just as white Americans felt their privilege attacked by the idea of integration in the country. In this way, he imitated his opponents by using his power to condemn and silence his challengers.