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Examples Of Black Men In Public Space By Brent Staples

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Keegan Goetz Ms. Emily EN 211 21, February 2018 Black Men and Public Space by: Brent Staples Race is and will always be something that brings out numerous views, emotions and thoughts. Unfortunately some of these thoughts and views aren’t always good and don’t represent equality. To this day and many years before this, human beings have always been judged and discriminated upon things such as skin color, Birthplace, and gender. Throughout history these human beings specifically black men and women have risen above this and achieved many different levels of success in sports, writing, politics, acting, and numerous other things. despite all of the achievements and qualifications black men have gained in life, Racism is still present. In Brent Staples’ Black Men …show more content…

in psychology from the University of Chicago, later becoming a journalist and finding himself moving to New York and being hired by the New York Times as a editor. Growing up in Pennsylvania the big realizing point for him wasn't until he got to the University of Chicago where he would witness several incidences of racial discrimination that led him to write various articles and books. Staples uses many examples to show that even with all the hard work and progress black men have made to be successful in life, many white americans will still jump to conclusions and still discriminate. Racism is still alive and still happening in the modern society. Staples focuses on this practice so the public can take charge and eliminate it from society. He completes his goal by using rhetoric appeals. By sympathizing with his fellow victims he appeals to ethos. He provides interesting historical facts about his background such as his doctorate in psychology, his time as a journalist, as well as using metaphors and good analogies to appeal to logos. By using creative word choices and good imagery to describe his first hand accounts he is able to draw the audiences

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That it is reality and not just a concept based off of racism. Within these anecdotes Staples uses hyperbole to create suspense and kind of overstate the real issue at hand in order to show how terrible his position truly is. Such as in the opening sentence, “My first victim was a woman - white, well dressed, probably in her early twenties…(542)”. The woman is not an actual “victim” to any physical harm. Nothing happened to her except she feared for possibly her life.

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In his essay entitled Black Men and Public Space (1987), Brent Staples talks about how people will have a common misconception on the black community by thinking that they are all mugger ,rapist or thugs. Staples supports his claim by telling the reader events/ stories that occured to him and talks about how people will assume that he is a danger to society when in reality he isnt. The authors purpose is to inform the reader that his experiences of being stereotyped is to show the reader his point of view when it comes to these types of situations. Staples writes in a formal tone for an intelligent or free minded person.

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“Black Men and Public Spaces” Diagnostic Essay Brent Staples in “Black Men and Public Spaces,” illustrates the inescapable prejudices and stereotyping that African-American men face in America. He does this by relating to his audience through his personal experiences with stereotyping, and sharing his malcontent on how these events have made him alter his way of living. From “victimizing” woman, watching people lock themselves away, and having to whistle classical music to calm the nerves of people around him; Staples builds a picture to help people better sympathize and understand his frustration. Although Staples describes himself as a college graduate, a journalist, and a softy in the face of violence, he details that the overall public deems him a dangerous criminal.

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In his essay “Black Men and Public Spaces,” Brent Staples explains that people often find him intimidating because he is tall and black. Staples shares his account of a number of personal encounters, arguing that in each situation, he was misinterpreted as being dangerous because of his daunting physical appearance. Staples asserts that as a result of this misinterpretation, he was continually mistreated. Staples begins his article by describing the events leading up to his life-changing realization that he has inherited “the ability to alter public space in ugly ways (183).” When he was twenty-two years old, Staples found himself one evening, walking behind a well-dressed white woman on a deserted street in a rather wealthy neighborhood.

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The women’s racism caused her reaction of “running in earnest,” “worried glances” and her eventual getaway, exemplifying the prejudice of a black male. He further demonstrates his “ability to alter public space” when just crossing “in front of a car stopped at a traffic light.” He hears the “thunk” of the driver locking their car regardless of them being “black, white, male, or female.” Staples understands the world is dangerous and people have the right to fear those around them, however, he continues to endure discrimination. But I am the person making those judgements.

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Americans Stereotypes: Loosening stereotypes Americans are always scared when they see a black man and think about them trying to harm them. Actually, that isn’t always the case and isn’t the case a lot of the time. Brent Staples in his writing Black Men in Public Spaces shows some of the societies stereotype issues. Americans should stop stereotyping blacks, not purposely go around them at night, and he shouldn’t have to whistle to make people comfortable around him. Americans put stereotypes on different ethnicities.

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