Du Bois and dark, wild hope in an age of environmental and political catastrophe

Abstract

The question of hope and its relation to despair looms all around us—in private conversation and in public discourse. In Environmental Humanities and the Literary Arts, one finds a pervasive pessimism as these fields grapple with such catastrophes as climate change and white nationalism. In this article, I investigate and critically appropriate W. E. B. Du Bois' notion of a dark, wild hope, suggesting that this particular form of hope is needful as we confront various environmental and political crises. I begin the article by exploring a form of hope that sustained Du Bois in the face of persistent racism—including environmental racism. Next, I argue that Du Bois' dark, wild hope can help us think about forms of hope appropriate for our own time. Du Bois' response to the catastrophes that he faced is instructive as we attempt to respond robustly to our current catastrophes. Resilience and vulnerability, resistance and uncertainty, transformation and constraints—these aspects of the human drama informed Du Bois' dark, wild hope. And this hope—not sunny and Pollyannaish, but rather rooted in suffering, trial, and grief—is a powerful resource for us today. ; La cuestión de la esperanza y su relación con la desesperación pululan constantemente a nuestro alrededor, tanto en conversaciones privadas como en el discurso público. En las humanidades ambientales y los estudios literarios—disciplinas que lidian con catástrofes como el cambio climático o el nacionalismo blanco—es fácil toparse con un pesimismo generalizado. En este artículo, investigo y hago uso crítico de la noción de W. E. B. Du Bois de una oscura y salvaje esperanza para sugerir que esta forma precisa de esperanza resulta necesaria al confrontar las diversas crisis políticas y medioambientales que nos asolan. Comienzo explorando la forma de esperanza que Du Bois mantuvo para hacer frente al racismo persistente, incluyendo el racismo medioambiental. A continuación, sostengo que la idea de una esperanza oscura y salvaje de Du Bois puede ayudarnos a pensar ...