Description
This paper places two “inside-outsiders” writing in the immediate aftermath of World War I – W.E.B. Du Bois and Laura Cornelius Kellogg – in conversation to scrutinise the historical relationship between self, state, and democracy during a particular moment of political change: when the concept of self-determination regained-prominence. The first section compares each author’s narratives about the evolution of democracy and their qualification to be viewed in the “demo.” The second part contrasts the aesthetics of their written work as different means of calling for their respective cultures to be considered within understandings of American democracy and citizenship. While Du Bois’ stylistic choices– referencing jazz and gospel – parallel his ideas of Black emancipation and imagination, Kellogg imbues her work with Haudenosaunee cosmology – exemplifying early modes of international advocacy for Indigenous sovereignty. I conclude that disagreements about democracy’s meaning are not a contest over history itself, but a matter of whose experiences are centered in advocating for its theory and praxis.
