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
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In both “Black Men In Public Space” and “It’s Hard Enough Being Me” we see characters who‚ at first‚ view their identities a certain way. It is after they move to a new area and see the reactions of those around them that they begin to question their individual identities and start to consider how the opinions of those around them influence how they perceive themselves. Both stories call in to question the ways that gender and particularly ethnicity can influence how a person is expected to behave
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Chadrick Burks Mrs.Klinginsmith English 102 August 30‚ 2012 Black Men and Public Space Reading Response In the short story‚ “Black Men and Public Space” it talks about one man account on how people treat and view him as a criminal. When the reader reads throughout the story you find out that he really isn’t a criminal at all‚ but an educated black man who’s going to the University of Chicago to get his Ph.D. The shocking thing in the story revealed he didn’t even grow up a violent person
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how you act and what you want to look like‚ but as far as the cultural aspect you are who you are because you were raised into it by your family. In the essay “Black Men and Public Space” by Brent Staples‚ he is African American because his parents were and now is stereotyped into being dangerous. He can’t control that though. Also‚ in the essay “Longing to Belong” by Saira Shah‚ she says she “..been cut off from my origins” (Shah 38). She couldn’t control that. She grew up with the culture she has
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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
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Black Men and Public Space How did Staples become aware of racial profiling and its consequences? In Brent Staples essay‚ “Black Men and Public Space‚” Staples expresses the difficulties African Americans face in society. Through specific style and detailed description of imagery‚ Staples takes his experience throughout his life where he was negatively stereotyped as “a mugger‚ a rapist‚ or worse”. His lifelong exposure to this matter taught him to take precaution in the people he encounters and
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color of skin and the way he is dressed. Almost all black men in today’s generation are likely to be suspects or looked at as a criminals or dangers to people. This is due to the fact that colored people are usually the race that’s being placed under arrest. It is correct that colored men have the highest criminal rate‚ but not all colored men should be distinguished as criminals for the actions of their race. In the essay “Black Men and Public Space‚” by author Brent Staples‚ he uses ethos‚ pathos
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In “Black Men and Public Space” Brent Staples utilizes anecdotes or stories as a literary technique to convey by prejudice affected him in his career and as a person in his everyday life. Early on in his anecdote‚ he sets the scene and utilizes descriptive language to evokes a feeling or nervousness and uncertainty from the reader. However‚ he also creates a situation where the reader feels compassion for him. It is evident that women and men pre-judged him based on his race. Although not everyone
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Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space Brent Staples wrote this essay with the main theme dealing with fear of stereotypes particularly with African Americans. For example‚ when he wrote‚ “ I could cross in front of a car stopped at a traffic light and elicit thunk‚ thunk‚ thunk‚ thunk‚ of the driver – black‚ white‚ male‚ or female – hammering down the door locks.” The word thunk is used as onomatopoeia showing a harsh tone‚ this also shows the major prejudice even within his own race. Brent
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In “Black Men and Public Spaces”‚ Brent Staples is in his early twenties and is faced with the menacing crime of being a black man in the 1970’s. As Staples likes to walk the streets at night due to his insomnia‚ every stranger that comes close enough to realize that he’s a tall black man lets their fear take control of them as they avoid him to the point of fleeing. To the eyes of people (mainly women) at night‚ he was no different from any other thug or criminal who prowls the street. Having moved
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