the black people in America suffered from the police interference in their lives and were even imprisoned even though they were not guilty. It is obvious that every human being has dreams. Martin Luther King had a dream too, which was seeing the world in peace and having equality rule the world. He dreamt about having brotherhood and seeing black and whites “sit down together at the tale of brotherhood”. To conclude, black people all over the world, wherever they live were for a long time victim of racism for their skin color.
So far, one of the major plots seems to be about his choice to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, in court. During this era, the residents of Maycomb county and the world in general were still extremely racist towards African Americans. They were considered slaves and not on the same level as normal people. The people who were poorer than the black people (for example: the Erwells) were even respected more. Because of this racism and prejudice, the decision of Atticus’ to defend this man (who would certainly be killed without a lawyer because he is black and the accuser is white) is widely discussed in the town.
Black Men in Public Places Does the media portray African Americans in a negative light and do statistics support these beliefs? Many people view blacks as threatening, menacing or even as criminals. From the first puritans to settle in America, black people were viewed as inferior to whites. This image, through the media, has evolved into a fear of the black race, especially black men. The essay “Black Men in Public Spaces,” written by Brent Staples illustrates the view from the black man perspective, but may also add to the stereotype.
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.
This scene is crucial in showing how obvious the social fractures are and the damage it has caused to African American sociology. Bigger and his African American friends are in a constant state of terror or fear. Acting out scenes like this one helps them cope with the racial oppression. Being among friends who are going through the same problems allows them to feel more secure and less likely to be fearful of the world around them. Bigger’s mindset is terribly unstable, causing him to have a drastic change in identity when confronted with fear.
Through out the “Notes of a Native Son”, there was many accounts of racism, but I choose to use the one that spoke to me the most. Therefore, the lesson I think James Baldwin learned here was that many people can be very mean and racist against many races; in this case, it was against blacks. The other lesson that James Baldwin learned was that “People don’t know what they have until it’s all gone”. The meaning behind that is because on Page 114 (last page) it says “The intimation made my heart heavy and, now that my father was irrecoverable, I wished that he had been beside me so that I could have searched his face for the answers which
Staples emphasizes that “Black men have a firm place in New York mugging literature” which has been instilled by the dominant culture who act as victims by stating they recall “growing up in terror of black males” (465). Thus, otherness in society, in terms of color, is almost always looked down upon and perceived as dangerous where as the dominant culture is rarely looked as in such way. People of color are frequently accused of doing wrong even if they are clearly doing no such thing. In fact, Staples explains about an incident in which he was unreasonably accused of being a mugger at a jewelry store. Staples’ skin color immediately caused the “proprietor [to] excuse herself and return with an enormous red Doberman Pinscher” (291).
In Brent Staple’s essay, Black Men in Public Spaces, he targets a wide variety of audiences in American society. Through his personal experiences Staples eloquently discusses the discrimination faced by black men in the elite, white social class. Not only does Staples prove his point that racism and fear of black people are ever present, but he shows the other side of the argument, specifically why white women are afraid of black men. His vivid scenarios and sense of alienation add to his very valid points. Brent Staples reached his audience on not only a personal, but public level as well.
The setting of the segregated south plays a key role in the illustration of the racial tension between blacks and whites. At this time, blacks became intolerant of abuse and punishment that white men inflicted upon them, and they were restless for change. The culmination of these tensions lead to an idea of a “new” black man. This “new” black man is unafraid to speak or to stand up for himself. For example, when questioned by Mapes about Beau’s murder, Uncle Billy
In 2012 racism still exist, Black Men and Public Space is still very much relevant to African Americans today. Brent Staples experience racism first hand as an African American male in his story, Black Men and Public Space. From a first person point of view, Brent Staples explores his involvement with stereotypes through anecdotes and dark humor. “My first victim was a woman, white, well dressed probably in her late twenties,” is how Staples starts his story. With this anecdote Staples grab the reader attention and curiosity to see why he uses these terms to describe the woman and what has happen between the two of them.