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Black Men and Public Space


The short story Black Men and Public Space, by Brent Staples is a story that is very much true and in the same instance is subject to be looked at from the view point of multiple individuals, not only the author’s. The story is about a young black man; sweet, kind, and intelligent, who enjoys taking late night walks in town. He finds himself more often than not looked at as a criminal, instantly judged by his appearance. Young women would run from him in fear, people would cross the street before walking past him, cops would pull him over at random just for looking suspect, and drivers would lock their doors at the sight of him crossing the street in their direction. There are a few different ways to look at this scenario and many conclusions to be drawn. For example the opening passage of the story reads, “My first victim was a woman-white, well dressed, probably in her late twenties”. That single word, “victim” leads the mind the draw conclusions, to really understand this story in its entirety, opening the mind and looking at it from all angles is really necessary.
One clear way to look at this story is from the point of view of the young man. From his perspective what is taking place is completely unfair and hurtful. Being marked not only as something you are not, something negative, but never being given the chance to show people just who it is that you really are. “To her, the youngish black man – a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair, both hands shoved in pockets of a bulky military jacket – seemed menacingly close”. His description alone is judged and the word menace was already been used, before the young man had done anything more than walk along on the sidewalk. How is one to take that emotionally? Being able to feel another persons fear and tensions and knowing it is due to your mere presence in the area. “It was in the echo of that terrified woman’s footfalls that I...