In contrast with James Cone’s argumentative piece, Brent Staples’ Black Man in a Public Space is a memoir about his travels in Chicago as an unthreatening black man. Staples begins by writing about a time when he made a frightened white woman run away from him and his seemingly menacing intent. Acts like Staples’ interaction with the white woman were common throughout America, as it suggested that no amount of innocence in a black man would lead an unsuspecting, or ignorant white person to forget how dark his hue is. Keeping this in mind, Staples also explains that as some white people would have difficulty in forgetting a black man’s color due to fear, others find it a stimulant for their misplaced anger. As Staples is a victim of unmerited
