His shadow, so to speak, has been more real to him than his personality
In fact, the image of "The American Negro" in society and his real personality differed somehow. While people considered the typical African American a object of constant debates – about freedom, race discrimination, humanity, social issues and so on - he has been looking for understanding and even sympathy. But, evidently, "The Negro" himself was responsible for such treatment. He wanted to draw attention to himself by any means, even by pretending to be the one he hasn’t actually been. That is why these two images – "The American Negro" in society and "The American Negro" in reality, are a bit different. For generations in the minds of Americans, "The Negro" has been more of a formula of needs and claims than the actual personality.
Lacking self-understanding, we have been almost as much of a problem to ourselves as we still are to others
People often create problems which didn’t really exist, it is strange but still it is a fact that we love to complicate our lives. As a result, having puzzled our life, we begin to puzzle lives of people around. Why? Because it is interesting, because it seems to us that these people don’t know how to live right, and we do! So, now we are not only problem to ourselves – we are problem to other people. It happens because we often we cannot understand ourselves, we cannot realize what we want and how to get it, so other people become victims of our misunderstanding and lack of self-efficiency. The very same story was happened to "The American Negro" and his longing was to be accepted in American society.
Why should our minds remain sectionalized , when the problem itself no longer is?
The quote is concerned the presumed "Negro problem" after the Civil War when black people stopped being associated just with the South and expanded to the whole territory of America. The mass migrations of black people to the North and Mid-West caused a lot of problems in these territories, most of these problems were connected with people’s suspense and stereotypes toward them. So, the “problem of the Negro” from the local one turned to the state one. They changed the country greatly because they influenced all spheres of social life: from art and entertainment to industrial developments and democracy. Having spread through the country they influenced it in both positive and negative ways. This is the main point that the narrator wants us to realize.
No one who understandingly faces the situation with its substantial accomplishment or views the new scene with its still more abundant promise can be entirely without hope
A tough fate was experienced by the "New American Negro" and his long way to recognition transformed him completely. New social realities taught him that in any case, whatever would happen, the one has to believe in oneself and try once again if one fails. in each situation there are a way out if one can see the consequences of one’s actions. The "New Negro" was no longer afraid to meet difficulties on his way, even if the whole country don’t understand him, there still will be people who do, the same as he is, those, who have the common goal, who believe in the same future.
