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Black Men And Public Space Analysis

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“Black Men and Public Space” by Brent Staples

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Black Men and Public Space” by Brent Staples is about how Brent realizes how people perceive him in public because of his race. He is seen as a scary man whom people often run away from or react very strongly to.

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I personally am a big believer in not changing yourself for the sake of others. I believe that censoring yourself and molding yourself to fit other peoples expectations or insecurities is stupid and harmful. I have been taught to do that my whole life and I'm just now starting to get out of that habit. I don't think you should change for anyone but yourself. If people dont like that then they dont need to be around you. My whole life I've been bending …show more content…

Brent learns what some tell tale signs are when people are afreaid of him. Such as woman holding their purses tight to themselves, holding onto their partners, and in some drastic measures imideatly leaving and getting something to defend themselves.
Brent starts walking differently, giving people more space when needed when walking down the streets or altogether stopping and letting people pass so they dont have to walk by him and fear for their lives. Hestarts being overlypolite and nice, and whistling clasical music to put people at ease. Brent does all of this to seem less threatening to people.
His examples of what he had gone through really helped show you that it really was about race and not somethings else. If he had kept with just the first example then it could have easily been dismised as a woman being scared of a man in the dark for abvious reasons and not because of his race. But then he game many more ecamples that are undisputablely about his race. Also I dont think that the excuse that he was a big man can be used. He was tall yes but skinny as hell. I wouldnt be as scared of a tall lanky man then I would of a brick of a

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