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Just Walk On By Richard Rodriguez Summary

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Brent Staples “ Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space” and Richard Rodriguez comparing the similarities and differences of Staples and Rodriguez 's article. Racism is a very difficult and confusing problem to deal at a very young age that can affect one 's mentality and perceptions of oneself then and later on. ,both Staples and Rodriguez had experienced racism for a very long time having firsthand experience of racism at young ages, such young ages in fact that it left a mark on each of them as they begin to realize at vulnerable times of their life what life is like being black or having dark skin. For example, Staples discovered this at the age of twelve as a white women saw fearing for her life. Rodriguez’s first experience of racism was at the age of 7 told by his mother to put a towel over his shoulder to cover some of his dark skin. him at night and ran away from her with it all the stereotypes and the profiling that comes with it in which they would have to manage and live with for the rest of their lives after they finally realize such an ugly truth. Although, the way in how Staples and Rodriguez handled racism are completely different ways, Staples attempts to combat the racism and prejudice of society by making …show more content…

Although, in the case of Rodriguez in his article of “Complexion” He had racism not from the outside world but from his own family which made it difficult to escape it since it was there he came home. Eventually Rodriguez internalized never trying to fight against it and had tried different ways to get rid of his own skin in ways of scraping or homemade

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Luis J. Rodriguez is an author who had a hard life with the exposure to drugs,gangs,and violence at a young age and in 1993 he became alcohol and drug free and started to get his life together. Luis has written twenty books most of them were biographies the book I read “Always Running” was a biography about his life and how he was exposed by thing he should've not been at the age he was. What struck my attention was for a few main reason one was that it is a book that is based on my race and the movie “Stand and Deliver” a movie that i watched in two different classes, In english we talked and read about Martin Luther King Jr. and how the equality for African American were not equal as American but in the movie and the book it talks about how mexicans who were born in the barrio were automatically considered lower- class and not inteligente.

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The Unknown War Have you ever wondered why kids get into the gang lifestyle? Well, in the book Always Running La Vida Loca: Gang days in L.A. by Luis Rodriguez, he opens the eyes of readers about his life and what he experienced in the gang life. This book takes place during the 1960’s to 1970’s in Southeast Los Angeles. Rodriguez explains why kids get into this gang lifestyle, he states as a Mexican he was discriminated against at a young age.

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In the article Black Men and Public Space written by Brent Staples, he shares his experience being a misconceived African American living in major cities Chicago and New York. Having generic traits of a “youngish black man- a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair” (Staples 520), he was often misunderstood for a thug; particularly when he roamed around the streets sundown. His first encounter being mistaken as a brute happened in Chicago. He turned around the corner into a rather quiet street in a neighborhood of the upper class, coincidentally walking behind a lady who was described by Staples as “white, well dressed, probably in her late twenties”. It was when she initially picked up her pace, and eventually fled on foot soon after realizing the presence of a seemingly suspicious man walking harmlessly behind her.

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Sarah Foreman Professor Olson Composition II 1120-8 February 2, 2023 Analysis of “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space” by Brent Staples The essay “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space '' by Brent Staples is an essay (within the 50 Essays 5th edition by Cohen) describing the author’s experience with people perceiving him as a criminal or at least a likely one throughout his life. The first paragraph starts off with him describing his “first victim,” a young white woman in 1973 who ran from a twenty-two year old Staples who was out for a night walk. He paints a picture of him night walking due to insomnia in Chicago and ends up on the same street walking the same direction as the women. She immediately started doing the backwards

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510 Words | 3 Pages

Most students, already practicing the indifference that is keynote of survival in New York, barely turned their heads. I, however, stared, frozen by violence” (Medina 73). This shows the exposure he received in school, he was not expecting the teachers to use violence as punishment but he learned that in school, there was violence and segregation. The teacher lately made a comment about Medina’s skin tone, he reflects on this by saying, “Skin? What does that have to do with any of this?

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In Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space Brent Staples provides examples of how racial stigmas have affected his life through the usage of ethos. He recounts on many experiences he has had walking down the street, circumstantially near white women, who run from him in fear of being attacked, (Staples 383). Simply due to the color of his skin others viewed him in a different light. The ethos used allows us to see that Staples is, in fact, an educated, college student, not a dangerous criminal, lurking the streets to prey on young caucasian

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The book “Always Running” is an autobiography authored by Rodriquez since it documents the day to day life of Rodriquez as a gang member. The story is a true narration of the author’s life in a Chicano gang and what he does to free himself from these challenges. The book is a non-fiction novel which describes the life and obstacles encountered by adolescent gang members. The story is centered around economic and social forces that influence and affect members of a gang especially those at the adolescent stage and the challenges they encounter in their environment. Rodriquez is the main protagonist of the story who narrates his gang life and how he managed to escape from it.

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In the article “The Talk: After Ferguson, a Shaded Conversation About Race”, Canedy narrates this discussion with her son. She begins by giving a portion of their conversation about how race plays into their lives, and how he needs to address the police. Canedy and her son are both African-Americans. Her son, Jordan, has much lighter skin than she does, prompting him to ask the

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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.

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Our Distorted Reflection Growing up, I dreaded going to school. People shouting at me, people pointing at me, snickering at me. Never being ordinary. I would get home and go to the bathroom, staring at myself in the mirror, tasting salt water on the tip of my lips.

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Black Like Me written by John Howard Griffin is a book published in 1960 at the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. When it comes to the saying ‘step in someone else’s shoe ‘John Howard Griffin take it to real life. .Deeply committed to the cause of racial justice and a need to understand the racial black experience, John Griffin takes it upon himself to temporarily become a black man. Experiences such as this one he undergoes “My revulsion turned to grief that my own people could give the hate stare, could shrivel men's souls, could deprive humans of rights they unhesitatingly accord their livestock." (Pg. 67) shows just what African American were going through at that time.

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However, these “steps” depend on the involvement of people. For example, the documentary on Martin Luther King discloses the agony of African Americans while trying to resolve the problem of discrimination and racism. Although many years have passed since this outcome, we continue to see discrimination, racism, and disadvantages against people of color and people with disabilities. To show the effects of discrimination and racism, Dr. Jendian introduced to us the activity “By My Bootstraps.” To begin this activity, we formed a line side by side, and we hold hands.

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756 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout his essay, Staples is able to make the audience understand what he has to deal with as a black man. Staples does this by using words and phrases such as, “...her flight made me feel like an accomplice in tyranny” and “... I was indistinguishable from the muggers who occasionally seeped into the area…” (542). By writing and describing how he (Staples) feels, the audience is able to get an inside look into how black men are treated and better understand why society’s teachings, play a vital role in how we see each other. Staples’ powerful writing also allows the reader to take a step back and see how as a society, people make judgements on others based on appearance alone.

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891 Words | 4 Pages

The driver demanded. Rosa Parks looked straight at him and said, “No.” Flustered and not quite sure what to do, Blake retorted “Well I’m going to have to get you arrested.” And Parks, still sitting next to the window, replied softly,”You may go right ahead”(Rosa Parks, Source A). This shows how rude and humiliating segregation can be, also how cruel and unusual it is to be denied the right to enter certain places or do certain things just because of the colour of their skin.

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1166 Words | 5 Pages

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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