Preview

Discrimination In Staples And Hurston

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1116 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Discrimination In Staples And Hurston
In Brent Staples “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space,” and Zora Hurston’s “How it feels to Be Colored Me,” both authors face discrimination because of their color. While each author begins to feel discrimination in their lives, they accept how they are treated in society, and they both overcome being angry at others for the way they were treated. While both authors face being discriminated against during their lives they realize that society treats them differently. Staples begins to feel this discrimination after moving to New York, he would walk the streets at night and he felt that others became nervous around him because of his color, especially white women. The author says “It was clear that she thought herself the quarry of …show more content…
Staples and Hurston both feel discriminated against but they choose to accept this way of life. While staples was put into a stereotype of a black man who might be a rapist or a mugger, he decides to make an effort to make others comfortable in public space. Staples says “In that first year, my first away from my hometown, I was to become thoroughly familiar with the language of fear” (384). Staples is aware that others fear him just based on his appearance but he makes an effort to let others around him feel more comfortable by giving others space and not getting too close to the other person, he also made sure it didn’t seem as if he was following anyone, and he remained calm in every situation. By making others around him feel more comfortable, he is trying to show them that just because he is black doesn’t mean he fits into the stereotype of some black men. Hurston starts to accept discrimination and has as outlook on life to where she decides to get over feeling like a victim, slavery was in the past and they needed to move on. The author says “Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of company? It’s beyond me” (Hurston 185). Hurston doesn’t understand why an individual would put someone in a stereotype; it is obvious that we are all more similar to each other than we are distant. Hurston does not want to be stuck in life because she is treated differently, she wants to move on with her life and not get stuck thinking about what has already happened in the past. Both authors feel that others shouldn’t feel sorry for them and they should now be able to focus on the future rather than what has happened in the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Although it is often ignored by those around it, discrimination is an impending problem in our towns. In the essay “Black Men and Public Space” written by Brent Staples, Staples responds to the racism he faces in various social situations. He reveals how he has “become thoroughly familiar with the language of fear” (1). As a large black man, people seem to fear Staples without a valid reason to. They do not see his character, but rather only his appearance. This reveals how people are fast to stereotype a person that they see, and not give them the opportunity to show their personalities. They are afraid of what, or who, they are afraid of, resulting in their own anxiety being created. By personifying the emotion of fear, Staples relays…

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This reflective essay “Black Men and Public Spaces” by Brent Staples, argues about the author’s personal struggles for being a black man, in his twenties, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Brent Staples was born and raised in Chester, Pennsylvania but he finished his studies and began working as a journalist in Chicago and New York City. Staples writes about some stories that gradually led him to realize over the fear of being judged by his race. In “Black Men and Public Spaces”, Staples let us become aware of his attitude and the way he perceive the situations he presents.…

    • 744 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    It is no surprise that currently and throughout history people of color have faced discrimination. Brent Staples shares his personal experience with the issue in the essay, “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space.” Unlike the Invisible Man, Staples was seen and by his appearance people fled from him, specifically white people. He addresses that he understands why people feel the need to cross the street and speed up. He explains that it a common view that black men are dangerous and that’s the only definition white people are given and therefore it is only natural to be cautious. Nevertheless the discrimination he feels is not justified by this fact nor does it bring comfort that the fear is not personal it is for the general race. Granted…

    • 249 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Brent Staples’ “Black Men and Public Spaces” is based on his personal experiences dealing with racism and discrimination. He explains how his past incidents involving racism shaped who he is, today. Staples’ experiences made him attempt to conform in a way he hoped he would be perceived as less dangerous. By acting and doing certain things, that seemed less “black”, he believed people saw him differently.…

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Brent Staples essay “Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space” is mostly about how being a black man in today’s society has caused people to stereotype him and misjudge him only because of his color of skin. Black men’s are seen as bad people when in reality, the black man who people judge are innocent civilians just like any other people with different race. Staples uses figurative language, writing techniques, and diction to tell his past experiences and the effect it has caused in his…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Just Walk On By

    • 445 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The author recognize the fact that he have positive attributes on his side that can help him to “alter public space”. He works in a very good editorial, this means that, whatever he say can cause a strong impact in society’s mind set. Staples knows his influence in the media. Also, he is black and he understands how black people are stereotyped in society, so he uses to his favor the sense of “hazard” that society have toward black people. Staples have lived racism in a closer look since he was a child and he was able to convert that negative experience into a positive and encouraging method to overcome racism.…

    • 445 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Just Walk On By,” by Brent Staples describes his life as an African American that is criticized and judged by the appearance the he reflects. He talks about the many different times in his life he experiences these act of racial profiling, and what he does to resolve these acts of discrimination. Through his passive calm tone he displays throughout his essay, he comes up with ways in which he changes him self in order for society to accept him. However, this is just one of many life stories that people go threw and how they are affected by these unfair acts. We can still see this in today's society, all around us, some of us do this naturally with out putting thought in what we are rely doing. My dad had a friend at work in the same situation which was judged and made fun of because of the ethnicity he was from. I believe he wrote this essay to give us an idea of how the human race see people through the their eyes and do not comprehend that we can not infer something against someone just because he is this race or that race.…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Inner Pece

    • 1463 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Salah O. Ahmed Intro to Afro-American Literature Professor Todd Duncan (This could use a longer conclusion) Inner Peace In the essays, "How it Feels to be Colored Me" and "On Being Young-a Woman-and Colored", the authors, Zola Neale Hurston and Marita Bonner, respectively, tell a similar story of having grown up and had to deal with racism in the Post-Bellum Era. In their appeal to a new generation, one less stigmatized by slavery and more hopeful about the future than its predecessor, Hurston and Bonner take divergent paths to point to a common understanding. The convergence between their works centers on the idea that in order for the young people of their generation to achieve a sense of peace with the world around them, they must first find peace within themselves.…

    • 1463 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Reliance

    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages

    As we know, much of the American culture is based upon slavery, and how African Americans as well as other individuals with a dark complexion have been persecuted and segregated throughout American history until the 1960’s. Fortunately, Zora Neale Hurston, the author of the passage “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” explains how she lived through the civil rights period, and how she was looked at as a low member in society because of the color of her skin. In the last paragraph of the passage, Zora presents the idea that no matter what color a person is, they are all the same from the inside. I strongly disagree with Zora’s belief about different races and how they conduct themselves in today’s society; either being a productive member of society or a menace to society.…

    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In her essay, “How It Feels to Be Colored Me”, Zora Neale Hurston writes about how she found her identity and became proud of who she is. Hurston recognizes the discrimination against African Americans, and sees it as “the price I paid for civilization, and the choice was not with me”. Hurston does not attempt to distance herself from her race; rather she openly accepts it. She only feels different from other races when the views of others are forced upon her. Using bags of miscellaneous objects as a metaphor, Hurston points out that we are all the same on the inside, despite our physical appearance. God created us all equal, and it is merely the views of society which divide us. Hurston’s capability to find her true identity and take pride…

    • 142 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Racism. We have all experienced racism at least once in our lives. Being judged by for the color of your skin. Your thoughts do not matter. Nor do your feelings. That is what is in the mind of a racist. Alongside racism are stereotypes. Stereotypes are a conventional, opinionated judgement that can create tough misconceptions of certain people, which many times are easily recognized and understood by others who share the same views. In "Black men in public spaces" by Brent Staples, and in " The Myth of A Latin Woman " by Cofer, the authors talk about stereotypes and the different but similar expierences they both encounter. Brent Staples explains how people classify him as being a robber or a rapist, just for being a young, black male. Staples starts off his essay with a personal experience, "My first victim was a woman, white, well dressed, probably in her early twenties. I came upon her late one evening on a deserted street in Hyde Park, a relatively affluent neighborhood in an otherwise mean, impoverished section of Chicago. As i swung onto the avenue behind her, there seemed to be a discreet, unimflammatory distance behind us." Then, Staples goes on talking about how the woman casts back "a worried glance", and "picked up her pace and was soon running in earnest." The author also explains that the woman only did this because "to her, the youngish black man a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair, both hands shoved into the pockets of a bulky military jacket seemed menacingly close." But would it have made a difference if he wasn't black? Staples also made it a habit to whistle classical music while in dark alley situations. He did this to ease the situation up a bit, trying to differ the type of attention that the stereotypical uneducated black male receives. He dealt with his stereotype in a calm manner by changing his behavior to make people less nervous around him. Similarly Cofer was stereotyped as maid, waitress, and sexual object.…

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The words Staples choose to describe his incidences are very powerful. They vividly construct how strongly society views his race. For instance, in the beginning of the essay where a frightened women’s reaction is described, he uses such words as “unwieldly, quarry, wayfarers, tyranny, ghetto, dangerous, hazard, dicey, fear, and weapon” to distinctly illustrate his response to the women’s reaction. Noticeably, none of the terms used suggest anything pleasant or gratifying.…

    • 264 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Brent Staples story, "Just Walk on By", the author underlines how black men are casualties of discrimination. First, he recalls his realization of how much his presence terrified other people, essentially a white woman, when he used to go out for strolls during the evening around the town. In spite of the fact that he understand that the world is seen to be progressively brutal and hazardous, he feels disappointed that African-American guys, particularly, are as yet being judged and misconstrued taking into account by their appearances. The author notice two cases where somebody misinterpreted him for a hoodlum and a companion who was a writer was flawed mistaken for a killer. These events, he states, are not uncommon. Presently so as to…

    • 1189 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Staples recalls his experience as a 22-year-old graduate student away from home for the first time. His first "victim", as he puts it, was a young white woman who practically runs down the street when she sees him walking down the same street behind her. It is ironic that he calls this woman his victim when in reality it is Staples who was the victim in the situation. He had done nothing that deserved such mistreatment. He is the victim of her prejudice. She was the one that was wrong in her judgment of him. He thought that there was enough of a distance between them but it was obvious that it was his appearance that scared the woman away. After all, he was a young black man, 6 feet 2 inches with a beard and billowing hair walking the streets of Hyde Park, a predominantly white neighborhood, with both hands in the pockets of his military jacket. This when he realizes the power he possessed. The power to alter public spaces by simply being black.…

    • 623 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It’s funny when you look at yourself. We try our best to look presentable to society. We strive to obtain attention, in most cases, from people to gain benefactors whom would help us in our lives. Due to this one must understand how we look affects others. We may appear in a variety of ways, both good and bad, based on how we look whether it because of our clothes and shoes all the way to the race we are as a human being. Brent Staples essay “Black Men and Public Spaces” represents this idea yet it shows the highly negative aspect of how someone responds to who we are. In his case though, Staples explains the prejudice side of human nature when they see someone due to our look. He explains of the first time he had an experience with racial segregation he faces as a black person when he is out for a midnight stroll and a white female runs from him due to how he appears. Apparently, being a black man in Staples’s society leads to the immediate idea of being identified as a criminal of society, like a thief, a killer, or some other absurd idea. He tells how he entered a jewelry store, and a female owner brought in a dog to “discourage” him to not be in for long. Staples recounts tales of other black men who faced his same conflict like a black man who was working as a reporter on a murder and the cops almost arrested him for the killer since he was around and they believed he stuck to the saying, “the killer ALWAYS returns to the scene of the crime.” These ridiculous assumptions made upon Staples as a young, black man as well as his peers’ displays the prejudice at the time, where black males were always placed in a category without question. For this I agree with Staples’s possible argument where people cannot judge a person based on the race of oneself or the image they display to the public without understanding- character, individual, or reasoning- the person for being who they are first.…

    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays