In Brent Staples’s essay “Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Ability to Alter Public Space”, Staples explains how black men are discriminated against in public through the events that happened in his own life and the lives of others. Brent Staple says that stereotypes usually mislead and have bad effects. He says that stereotypes affect the stereotyper. People perceived that Staples was - a black man - as a mugger or sometime even a rapist just because the color of his skin, especially white woman with well dressed, and in her early twenties. The author was known as a night walker.
“Black Man and Public Space” Response “Black Men and Public Space” by Staples, Brent, was a very interesting reading. While reading Black Men and Public Space it appears that a young black man is out stalking people looking for his next victim during late hours of the night. However, it turns out he was not a crook, simply an avid nightwalker.Why are black men stereotyped in public space? In the story he stated “My first victim was a woman”. It seems that the young black man was an crook.
As the reader begins to see the unfairness of the actions against black people, mostly because of Atticus’ speech, the theme of discrimination is developed through the motive of ‘walking around in their shoes.’ The title, To Kill A Mockingbird is very symbolic and meaningful. The quote which corresponds with the title is also said by Atticus and is, ‘Shoot all the blue jays you want if you can’t hit ‘em, but it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’ There are two characters in the text which are metaphorical to the mockingbird. One is the obvious one, Tom Robinson, a black man accused of the rape of a white girl, whom Atticus defends, and the other is Boo Radley. Just like a mockingbird, Tom Robinson only did good and in the end was accused of a crime he didn’t commit. He helped Mayella Ewell every time she asked, for free, and for it he was accused of raping her.
The narrator’s environment reveals the despair in being an African American. The narrator thinks of his brother saying “He had been picked up, the evening before, in a raid on an apartment down-town, for peddling and using heroin.” This is already a sad fact. When someone has to turn to illegal crimes it shows a major issue. To make matters worse the narrator states “these boys (his students), now, were living as we'd been living then.” The state and condition that led to Sonny to a life of drugs and crime isn’t unique. In fact it is almost perpetual to all in the community.
He is almost completely shunned from the town because he is trying to help a black man accused of rape. Mayella had told Tom, “I said come here, nigger, and bust up this chiffarobe for me, I gotta nickel for you.” (p.241) She had tricked him to coming over to her. Then that’s about the time when she accuses him of rape. He had felt sorry for her, which is why he was falsely accused in the first place. Courthouse segregation was one of the biggest bits of racism I found in this book.
In his essay “Black Men and Public Space”, Brent Staples attempts to introduce people to something most all are guilty of, but pay little attention to. Using accounts from his own and others’ experiences, Staples essay portrays the racist tendency of people to assume black men are potentially violent and dangerous. Staples discovery of this comes during a late-night encounter. A young white female, whom Staples labels “my first victim” (197), was walking down the street in front of Staples and was not comfortable with the space he provided for her. After a couple of glances back and changes in her pace, she soon began running and disappeared down a side street.
Connecting True Stories In the essay “Black Men in Public Space” by Brent Staples, he explains his experiences where he has altered public space by his presence of being a black male. The first instance he talks about is a white female in her mid-twenties running from him when he was just walking normally behind her on a street late at night, in her mind he must have looked like a mugger or a rapist. Brent explains how he is completely the opposite of what he appearance leads him to be. He became familiar with creating fear in people with just his appearance. Throughout his adult years he has been mistaken for a murderer, robber and a rapist on several different occasions because of his race.
Once they got home and were having the locks changed, Jean became immediately angry they sent a “gang member” and wanted the locks changed in the morning. Because of his appearance, which consisted of a shaved head, “prison” tattoos and pants hanging off his butt, she was positive he would go sell the keys to his “amigos.” These somewhat inaccurate stereotypes by Jean were supported from historical and socially constructed events. Since most men who are imprisoned are African American, to Jean and other members of society, this means all black men are criminals and one must be fearful of them. As for the Mexican locksmith, he must be a part of a gang and looking for trouble if he has tattoos and his pants
05/03/2012 Black Men and Public Space In his essay “Black Men and Public Space”, Brent Staples attempts to use some strategies which have really captured my mind. He starts by telling us of how her first encounter with a white woman was, even if Staples does not tell us of his race this is clear evidence that racial prejudice played a role. Based on his race (Staples 404) he ironically demonstrates he wants their guilty to stay with them thus excluding him from the white. Staples says “my first victim’’ (197), was walking down the street but she was not comfortable with the surrounding just because he saw a black man, she soon began running down the street with an intention that she will be robbed but in the real sense Staples was taking a walk just as she was. Definitely this woman figured out that if a black man walked in that neighborhood he was mostly likely up to something.
As the result, the poverty was inherited to next generation repeatedly. Roger represents the group of the poor black men. His face was “dirty” and he was “frail and willow-wild” in his clothes. In addition, he tried to steal money from Mrs. Jones illegally. About these problems, the writer tried to enlighten the poor black men through Mrs. Jones’ words although it is faint and indirect.