How would you feel if you were walking on an open street amongst many people, being the innocent individual you are, but the whole time you get funny faces, people starts to pick up their pace, and starts to judge you simply because of your skin color? Brent Staples is an African-American male in the United States of America. Because of his race, he is often accused for being a “mugger”, “rapist”, or a “criminal”. In his essay, “Black Men and Public Space”, he describes various events where he encounters people of the opposite sex, or opposite race that are afraid of him simply because of his skin color. His purpose is to inform the audience of his experiences and point of view. Although, he is a different race does not make him a criminal
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These stories in particular supports the argument that the author is unfairly judged by society. Staples stated “It was in the echo of that terrified woman’s footfalls that I first began to know the unwieldy inheritance I’d come into – the ability to alter public space in ugly ways” (195). In this quote, the reader can almost see the distressed look on Brent Staples face as he realized how he can “alter the public in ugly ways.” His professional and concerned tone, makes the reader connect with his emotional crisis. It was that way in the 70’s and 80’s and it remains that way in this generation. Staples had one encounter when someone was afraid of him, but the other two encounters that he experiences, were people who thought he was a burglar. At his own job, he was mistaken for a burglar and was rushed down the halls by security and had no way of proving who he was. Another time where someone mistakenly accused him of being a burglar, was the time he was on an assignment for his job, and walked into a jewelry store. The owner then proceeded to get her red Doberman pinscher in hopes of scaring the “burglar” away. “Black men trade tales like this all the time” (197). This sentence makes me feel like our black men just is not welcomed in this …show more content…
Many black people today are falsely accused of committing crimes, being pulled over by police officers simply because of their skin color, and given jail time of 20+ years, for petty crimes. Cases as such includes the Sandra Bland Case, where an African-American female was pulled over and drug out of her vehicle by police officers because she did not put on her blinkers when turning. She eventually died and it still remains unknown as to what actually killed her. Another case, is the Trayvon Martin case. Trayvon Martin, an African-American male in his teens, was walking down a neighborhood in an all-black hoodie, when he was approached by a white male for no reason and eventually was shot and killed. This is why they started the “Black Lives Matter” campaign. Some black people are very intelligent individuals, do not mean any harm to anybody, and actually want to live life like a normal human being. Instead we have to watch our backs, and be careful with what comes out of our mouths because if we don’t, it could cost us our lives. Brent Staples “Black Men and Public Space” is very relatable and one can feel his pain all throughout the story. Not only does he explains his personal experiences with racial profiling, but he also uses vivid imagery, great details, and a sense of pathos. Throughout the essay, Staples uses sentences that the reader may be able to relate to or connect with in an emotional
These stories in particular supports the argument that the author is unfairly judged by society. Staples stated “It was in the echo of that terrified woman’s footfalls that I first began to know the unwieldy inheritance I’d come into – the ability to alter public space in ugly ways” (195). In this quote, the reader can almost see the distressed look on Brent Staples face as he realized how he can “alter the public in ugly ways.” His professional and concerned tone, makes the reader connect with his emotional crisis. It was that way in the 70’s and 80’s and it remains that way in this generation. Staples had one encounter when someone was afraid of him, but the other two encounters that he experiences, were people who thought he was a burglar. At his own job, he was mistaken for a burglar and was rushed down the halls by security and had no way of proving who he was. Another time where someone mistakenly accused him of being a burglar, was the time he was on an assignment for his job, and walked into a jewelry store. The owner then proceeded to get her red Doberman pinscher in hopes of scaring the “burglar” away. “Black men trade tales like this all the time” (197). This sentence makes me feel like our black men just is not welcomed in this …show more content…
Many black people today are falsely accused of committing crimes, being pulled over by police officers simply because of their skin color, and given jail time of 20+ years, for petty crimes. Cases as such includes the Sandra Bland Case, where an African-American female was pulled over and drug out of her vehicle by police officers because she did not put on her blinkers when turning. She eventually died and it still remains unknown as to what actually killed her. Another case, is the Trayvon Martin case. Trayvon Martin, an African-American male in his teens, was walking down a neighborhood in an all-black hoodie, when he was approached by a white male for no reason and eventually was shot and killed. This is why they started the “Black Lives Matter” campaign. Some black people are very intelligent individuals, do not mean any harm to anybody, and actually want to live life like a normal human being. Instead we have to watch our backs, and be careful with what comes out of our mouths because if we don’t, it could cost us our lives. Brent Staples “Black Men and Public Space” is very relatable and one can feel his pain all throughout the story. Not only does he explains his personal experiences with racial profiling, but he also uses vivid imagery, great details, and a sense of pathos. Throughout the essay, Staples uses sentences that the reader may be able to relate to or connect with in an emotional