Black Space Essay

330 Words2 Pages
Black Men and Public Space In Brent Staples “Black Men and Public Space”, a black man tells his experience with particular individuals in public areas whom fear him based on his race’s stereotype. Staples suggest that people still tend to portray black men as violent and dangerous individuals from racial tendencies without rationalizing and thus causing stress to the victims (black men) because they’re seen as threats despite their true nature. In the past, black men have had reputations that associate themselves with murderers, thieves, rapist etc. thus making people around them feel anxious and/or concerned. The tone from the text appears ironic as Staples uses the words “My first victim” as his opener despite himself being the victim instead of the offender. Although the narrator does not cause trouble nor harm anyone in his way, the ‘victim’ “picked up her pace and was soon running in earnest.” The issue Staples is demonstrating is that people should not judge others based on preconception of a certain race, and that the black man was evidently the victim of discrimination instead of the convict. He utilizes the irony in his text to illustrate the injustice of what seems to be and what it should be regarding the treatment to black men. The narrator seems to appear conceded to the fact that people will always view him as a threat because of his race. Staples demonstrate that no matter when or where he is the notion of black men being dangerous or being involved in criminal activity does not leave the world’s general schema. He goes out of his way to not make people uncomfortable despite his rage of his treatment in society. Even though Brent Staples gets judged just due to his skin color, it doesn’t seem bother him all that much. He’s able to see that it s not him that scares people; it’s the stereotype that his race has attached to them that’s what makes
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