The most essential parts of our being are also the most difficult to explain to others. Perhaps that's why Collins stuck to such simple declarative sentences: "I'm black. And I'm gay." As a gay black man myself, I can't even begin to discuss the significance of Collins' statement without pulling "double consciousness" into the conversation. As W.E.B. Dubois wrote in 1903 in The Souls of Black Folk, "It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity."
Dubois's notion of "double-consciousness" speaks to the tension between being black and American; the collision of identities that, to put it lightly, have a complicated history. "Two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings," continues Dubois. Sounds complicated right? It is. And the only thing that's more complicated is facing those "two unreconciled strivings" while also dealing with a third: being gay. In other words, being black and gay is a difficult dance and often a lonely one. The only way to figure out the dance steps is to connect with people who also know the choreography. Collins has positioned himself as one of those people. That's a huge step for his own personal journey, but also to countless black gay youth who can now look to him as a role model. (Read more here)This is a big deal for black gay youth and yes, even black gay men like myself... Jason becomes the role model and figure who helps validate all that it means to live in truth and honesty when you're black and gay. To illustrate this point, Saeed invited black gay men to share their photos in the article and by so doing add weight to the importance of Jason Collins' brave and historic act means.
"Fear Eats the Soul"
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