Imagine being in a society where the color of individual’s skin makes another person fear for their own well-being. Picture a place where people are judged because of their race, before even taking a look a one’s heart. This place is America. Every day, African-American men attempt to appear as normal as possible to make their lives easier, but stereotypes makes them stick out like a sore thumb. In “Black Men in Public Space” and “Black Men Quietly Combating Stereotypes”, these sources analyze the plight of African-American men in society. Although, these pieces of literature focus more on certain rhetorical strategies than others, both passages are effective in influencing the audience to break down racial barriers.
On a daily basis, black men are charged with crimes they did not even commit because individuals have pre-conceived notions that African American men are angry criminals. A perfect example of this instance would be in the essay “Black Men in Public Space”. In this story, Brent Staples is taking his daily walk in his neighborhood and as he is walking down the street, a white woman turns around a spots a six-foot-two burly black guy. Frightened by his appearance, she takes off running as if he was trying to harm her. Dismayed about this event, Staples began to feel as if he was an “accomplice to tyranny”, and realized that her poor judgement had struck one of his nerves. During the essay, the author states that he is a “softy”, who is afraid to cut raw chicken, let alone take a knife to someone’s throat. In addition to this instance, Staples was working as a journalist and was killing time before work, so he decided to walk into a jewelry store. In doing so, the owner became afraid that he was out to rob her, so she decided to get her vicious Doberman pinscher. Events like these were effective in capturing the pathos of the audience, and evoking sympathy for his unfortunate situations. In turn, the reader was able to put themselves in Staples shoes and realize that stereotyping is a horrible disease that still plagues this country. Though the events of Brent Staples were unfortunate, these conflicts arise every day and as black males, it is vital to find a way to break racial constraints. Keith Borders is a six-foot-seven, black man who is a talkative lawyer. Often times many people are afraid to approach him because his physical stature is demanding, so to offset the stereotypes, he ensures that he smiles a lot, dresses conservatively, and practices good manners. Furthermore, he makes sure he puts his hands in his pockets or behind his back, stands with his feet close together, and uses a softer tone of voice. In addition, he is mindful of his actions throughout the day. For example, if he is walking onto an elevator, he makes sure that he is in the corner, and when he is at an ATM, he makes sure that he stands at a far enough distance that no individual has to be afraid of being harmed physically. The actions Borders takes to ensure that he does not pose a threat to an individual illustrates ethos in this article, because he is physically showing people his character. He knows that white Americans make the rules for black men, and it is our responsibility to be able to respond in different ways. The ability to be able to shift from an authentic black person personality to a respectable black male is significant. Ultimately, if African American men are …show more content…
In “Black Men in Public Space”, Brent Staples describes his background and illustrates his rough upbringing. For example, he states that in his hometown of Chester, Pennsylvania that he scarcely stood out because of the numerous reports of “gang warfare, street knifings, and murders”. After this he says that he grew up a good-boy and that he had only been in six fights, and he attributed this to his shyness toward violence. All the facts listed served as a juxtaposition to highlight the character of the author, which is effective in setting him apart from the stereotype. In turn, the audience can understand that the typical background of African Americans is not the norm actually, and stereotypes define people
On a daily basis, black men are charged with crimes they did not even commit because individuals have pre-conceived notions that African American men are angry criminals. A perfect example of this instance would be in the essay “Black Men in Public Space”. In this story, Brent Staples is taking his daily walk in his neighborhood and as he is walking down the street, a white woman turns around a spots a six-foot-two burly black guy. Frightened by his appearance, she takes off running as if he was trying to harm her. Dismayed about this event, Staples began to feel as if he was an “accomplice to tyranny”, and realized that her poor judgement had struck one of his nerves. During the essay, the author states that he is a “softy”, who is afraid to cut raw chicken, let alone take a knife to someone’s throat. In addition to this instance, Staples was working as a journalist and was killing time before work, so he decided to walk into a jewelry store. In doing so, the owner became afraid that he was out to rob her, so she decided to get her vicious Doberman pinscher. Events like these were effective in capturing the pathos of the audience, and evoking sympathy for his unfortunate situations. In turn, the reader was able to put themselves in Staples shoes and realize that stereotyping is a horrible disease that still plagues this country. Though the events of Brent Staples were unfortunate, these conflicts arise every day and as black males, it is vital to find a way to break racial constraints. Keith Borders is a six-foot-seven, black man who is a talkative lawyer. Often times many people are afraid to approach him because his physical stature is demanding, so to offset the stereotypes, he ensures that he smiles a lot, dresses conservatively, and practices good manners. Furthermore, he makes sure he puts his hands in his pockets or behind his back, stands with his feet close together, and uses a softer tone of voice. In addition, he is mindful of his actions throughout the day. For example, if he is walking onto an elevator, he makes sure that he is in the corner, and when he is at an ATM, he makes sure that he stands at a far enough distance that no individual has to be afraid of being harmed physically. The actions Borders takes to ensure that he does not pose a threat to an individual illustrates ethos in this article, because he is physically showing people his character. He knows that white Americans make the rules for black men, and it is our responsibility to be able to respond in different ways. The ability to be able to shift from an authentic black person personality to a respectable black male is significant. Ultimately, if African American men are …show more content…
In “Black Men in Public Space”, Brent Staples describes his background and illustrates his rough upbringing. For example, he states that in his hometown of Chester, Pennsylvania that he scarcely stood out because of the numerous reports of “gang warfare, street knifings, and murders”. After this he says that he grew up a good-boy and that he had only been in six fights, and he attributed this to his shyness toward violence. All the facts listed served as a juxtaposition to highlight the character of the author, which is effective in setting him apart from the stereotype. In turn, the audience can understand that the typical background of African Americans is not the norm actually, and stereotypes define people