Afro-pessimistic works like Jordan Peele’s 2017 film Get Out and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ 2015 book Between the World and Me allude to a state of double consciousness experienced by Black people in North America. In Get Out, which follows Chris, a Black man escaping from his girlfriend’s parents’ house, where they attempt to subject him to an experiment involving the sale and use of his body by an older white man, the presence of double consciousness overwhelmingly affects Chris’ actions and thoughts. Similarly, in Between the World and Me, a nonfic- tion book that serves as a letter to Coates’ son about the realities of the Black experience in America, double consciousness is explored through the mentioning of real events in which Black people have been subjected to racialized discrimination. “Double consciousness” is a concept coined by W.E.B. Du Bois in his work The Souls of Black Folk (Du Bois np). It describes having to be aware at all times of how one’s actions or presence as a Black person can be perceived in white society, and acting accordingly so as not to seem threatening (Du Bois np). Racism is the creator of double consciousness. It is deeply ingrained within North American society, constituting the very foundation on which it is built. For Black people, it is virtually impossible to escape racism. We can, therefore, conclude that double consciousness is not a coping mechanism that allows one to deal with the integrated racism within white society, as some might suggest , but a symptom of white supremacy; a condition that allows one to survive its trials and tribulations by adapting to its structure, needs and demands. We can explore this in both Get Out and Between the World and Me.

In Get Out, there are two notable scenes of double consciousness: the first one is early in the film, when Chris expresses concern about Rose’s parents’ lack of awareness that he is Black. Rose, seemingly ignorant about the notion of racism within her family, reassures him that they are not racist (Get Out 7:16-8:28). Despite this, he seems to keep his walls up when he meets them. As a Black man in The United States, he is aware of the racial biases that white families tend to have, especially rich, suburban, white families. He even says, “You know, I don’t want to get chased off the lawn with a shotgun” (Get Out 7:54-7:56). His unease is brought up by his own personal skepticism of the family’s racism, reflecting a historical and societal consciousness shaped by centuries of systemic racism. In this scene, he shares his awareness of the fact that in predominantly white spaces, unwanted Blackness is met with violence, hostility, and microaggression. As a result, he is making sure that his Blackness is welcomed and not invading. This is double consciousness; it entails separating one’s Blackness from other parts of one’s identity, seeing one’s Blackness from a white perspective, and avoiding mannerisms that might seem threat- ening to the white eye (Du Bois 2). In this case, Chris is trying to survive by separating his African American identity from his American identity and acknowledging that his Blackness may seem threatening either due to prejudice or white supremacy. Double consciousness is not a coping mechanism as it is not alleviating or helping him manage the stress that comes with meeting white people as a Black person, but rather an unfortunate condition that allows him to avoid escalated racial violence; Chris, before even arriving at the estate, is assessing how his presence might be perceived and is taking the necessary steps to somewhat ensure his safety, all while still bracing himself for the possibility of encoun- tering prejudice, violence, and hostility.